handful

American  

[hand-fool] / ˈhænd fʊl /

noun

• handfuls
  plural

1. the quantity or amount that the hand can hold.

   a handful of coins.

2. a small amount, number, or quantity.

   a handful of men.

3. Informal. a person or thing that is as much as one can manage or control.

   The baby's tantrums made him a handful.

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handful British  

/ ˈhændfʊl /

noun

1. the amount or number that can be held in the hand

2. a small number or quantity

3. informal a person or thing difficult to manage or control

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Spelling

See -ful.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• handfuls
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of handful

before 900; Middle English, Old English. See hand, -ful

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Explanation

A handful is just a little of something, or the amount you can hold in your hand. It can be a literal handful, like a handful of popcorn, or it can mean just a few, like a handful of trucks. You might find yourself eating handfuls of raspberries when you're supposed to be picking them to make jam. Another meaning of handful is "just a few," as in "There are only a handful of dogs at the dog park this morning." And a third way to use this word is to mean "incredibly difficult to handle." If your mom says, "You were a handful when you were a toddler," she means you were not easy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

handful handfuls

A handful of defenders noted that the new press secretary had only a day to get ready for her debut.

From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026

The agreement on "made in Europe" restricts its application regarding cars to the EU's 27 countries, with an opt-in for a handful of others, notably Britain and Norway under certain conditions.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration has already approved a handful of these drugs for cancers with small patient populations or with other treatment options.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

The primary suite features a handful of the striking stained-glass windows that appear throughout the home, harkening back to the property’s roots as the Peace Church.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

He had round glasses, and he was lean, sharp rather than soft, with heavy eyebrows and a handful of freckles.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Dozens of Khan supporters gathered near the private hospital, while others flung handfuls of red flower petals at passing cars.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

"We call it rotting out," says Fererro, now wearing a white laboratory coat as he adds handfuls of seagrass to the Calshot tank.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

Chilled sweet peas and ribbons of summer zucchini are tossed separately with olive oil, more lemon juice and handfuls of fresh herbs.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

Workers bend the branches down with a hook-shaped tool made of PVC pipe, helping people reach handfuls of cherries.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

She began by smearing handfuls of thick mud over her entire body.

From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown

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