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

What would the men who spent the night not five miles from here, a hundred and eleven years ago, have given for a handful of these berries? —Cree Lefavour, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026

Lang and a handful of associates then carried the roasted pig, wrapped in tin foil, down York Ave. —Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2026

Outside OpenAI’s headquarters, a handful of people gathered on Monday holding pieces of colorful chalk. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026

Burchett and a handful of other Republicans joined all Democrats in voting to subpoena Bondi. —Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 6 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