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

On the banks Following the discovery of a handful of bad loans from banks, Wall Street has been on the hunt for any other signs of risk in the sector. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2025

The stands were empty except for the cleaning crew, and the only remaining people on the field were Napier, a handful of staffers and a family of four from South Carolina. —Matt Baker, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2025

The Carlyle Hotel is perhaps best-known for Bemelmans, the cocktail bar that hosts the most exclusive Met Gala afterparties each May and was once a frequent haunt of Waylon Jennings, one of the handful of artists Crockett reflects in his own career. —Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2025

Over the past several weeks, a handful of frustrated pet owners were able to retrieve the bodies of their pets from Angel Paws with the help of sheriff’s deputies and others. —Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 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