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 almost 200 active tax-sharing agreements in California — 22 in Orange County — though just a handful statewide involve Costcos. —Victoria Le, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026

Amid a sunny Saturday in a bustling Millennium Park buzzing with downtown shoppers and people posing for photos near the Cloud Gate sculpture, a small handful of Chicago Quakers used the warm afternoon for a silent vigil. —Laura Turbay, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2026

Google co-founder Sergey Brin has dumped $45 million into a campaign committee that’s sponsoring a handful of other ballot measures, including three currently collecting signatures, that seek to counteract the tax in various ways. —Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 21 Mar. 2026

For example, Phantom does not operate any showrooms in New York or New Jersey, but a handful of stores are positioned just over the border in Pennsylvania. —Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026

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