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

There are a handful of players every year who could seriously be in the conversation as the game’s current best scorer. —James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025

And many involve only a handful of ingredients that may already be in your pantry, fridge, or freezer. —Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Dec. 2025

Since there are only a handful of ingredients in this easy salad recipe, they are all allowed to shine. —Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2025

Success comes for one neighborhood, a few buildings, one block here, a handful of urban homesteaders there. —Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 13 Dec. 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