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fistful

American  
[fist-fool] / ˈfɪst fʊl /

noun

plural

fistfuls

  1. a handful.

    a fistful of pennies.

Spelling

See -ful.

Etymology

Origin of fistful

First recorded in 1605–15; fist 1 + -ful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Shah boarded a plane, scooping a fistful of Iranian dirt on his way out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Banks, investment funds, governments, and insurance companies bought them by the fistful.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

As the firefighters pulled on their protective yellow jackets and pants, and filled their drip torches with a mixture of diesel and gasoline, Nielson bent down and grabbed a fistful of the yellow grass.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025

After coming out of the water, some picked up fistful of the silver sand and rubbed it over their bodies.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2025

I grabbed a fistful of mud and ground it into my scar as I shook with hot sobs.

From "The Ugly One" by Leanne Statland Ellis

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.