handful

noun

hand·​ful ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l 

plural handfuls ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇lz  also handsful ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l 

1

: as much or as many as the hand will grasp

2

: a small quantity or number

a handful of people

3

: as much as one can manage

the kids are quite a handful

Synonyms of handful

• few
• couple

Examples of handful in a Sentence

The children collected seashells by the handful.

Our dog is a real handful.

Recent Examples on the Web

Her father, Skip Panettiere, is on the guest list as are a handful of Hollywood heavyweights and celebrities, though her mom, Lesley Vogel, her former boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother, Zach Hickerson, were not invited, per TMZ. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 18 Sep. 2026

Wadleigh and Johnson had met up a handful of times in a two-week period. — Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

The decree was group portraits only — none of Holmes alone — with a very specific handful of people who were participating in the shoot. — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026

There’s a handful of Saint Laurent accessories, from a pair of sky-high stilettos to zhuzh up an outfit to a sleek leather compact case. — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for handful

• brimful
• mirthful
• mouthful
• roomful
• spoonful
• full
• pull
• wool

Kids Definition

handful

noun

hand·​ful ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l 

plural handfuls -ˌfu̇lz  also handsful ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l 

1

: as much or as many as the hand will grasp

a handful of jelly beans

2

: a small quantity or number

a handful of people

3

: as much as one can control or manage

the three babies are quite a handful