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

Some councils oversee a handful of schools – including only four secondaries in some cases.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 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 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

She and her husband Manuel Perez originally listed it in September at $769,000, and have had only a handful of showings and no offers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Then, as if this was a totally normal thing to do, Trey shoved a handful of feathers toward me like it was the bouquet of flowers.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

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

A few handfuls of oats, pistachios or pecans, butter, maple syrup.

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 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

Zheegwon tossed down a few handfuls like confetti.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

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