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

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

See Examples For:

handful handfuls

Gomez also criticized removing the cap itself, saying it would hurt local news as consolidation would lead to more cost-cutting by a handful of big broadcasters.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Today, Istanbul remains the centre of excellence for cymbals, where a handful of brands still produce hand-hammered bronze using techniques developed more than 400 years ago.

From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026

He was initially tested for Lyme, and it wasn’t until a monthslong antibody study that the Bourbon virus—so far found in only a handful of cases nationwide—was finally pinpointed as the culprit.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

What followed was 16 months of sending "gazillions" of CVs, with little more than a handful of automated replies, despite never previously struggling to find work.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

There are a handful of tabs open, all for different job listings.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

"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

This dread has been my constant companion ever since I lathered up, rinsed and watched handfuls of dirty blonde strands circle the drain three weeks ago.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025

Most grabbed small handfuls of items, such as prepared foods to go and drinks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 25, 2025

Cooks add canned tomatoes and peppers with handfuls of spices, stirring the sauce with giant spoons.

From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2025

“Yes, yes, yes,” the boys say, grabbing big handfuls, happy again.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar