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

Related Stories Khosla’s group beat out a handful of other bidders, including a group led by billionaire Aditya Mittal, a member of one of India’s richest families, said the people, who were granted anonymity because the details are private. — Scott Soshnick, Variety, 12 July 2026

Countless guitars and a handful of picks later Almost no one could be caught standing still. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026

In the last four decades, as far as scientists know, only a handful of southern elephant seals have been born in Tasmania and survived, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas). — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Rather than investing heavily in a handful of sophisticated drones, the military aims to field larger fleets that can absorb battlefield losses without significantly affecting operational capability. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 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