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

• 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

And that rings true despite the Sixers defeating the Charlotte Hornets 125-121 on Saturday night to become one of a handful of teams in the Eastern Conference to start the year with two consecutive wins. —Tony Jones, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025

An astonishing 51 cleared, an order of magnitude beyond a typical project where only a handful of names ever reach that stage. —Anthony Shore, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025

At this point in the year, there are a handful of players who have separated themselves as potential Heisman Trophy favorites. —Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025

Police say there have been a handful of incidents over the years involving people jumping into the ditch where the man was found, which is open at street level. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for handful

• brimful
• 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