handful

American  

[hand-fool] / ˈhænd fʊl /

noun

plural

handfuls

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.

Etymology

Origin of handful

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

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

Although doctors in nearly two dozen states can safely prescribe medication abortion to women anywhere in the U.S., only a handful of specialty pharmacies actually fill those mail orders, Gomez explained.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

A handful of industrials in the index slid, including a 2.6% drop for Rheinmetall after earnings.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

York-born Staniforth was one of a handful of Lionesses who developed in the academies of the north east of England and went on to successful careers.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Recognizing the urgency of the matter, officials at a handful of hospitals agreed to share their data with ProPublica.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

To Michael Burry, the subprime mortgage market looked increasingly like a fraud perpetrated by a handful of subprime bond trading desks.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis