This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
handful
[ hand-fool ]
/ ˈhænd fʊl /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun, plural hand·fuls.
the quantity or amount that the hand can hold: a handful of coins.
a small amount, number, or quantity: a handful of men.
Informal. a person or thing that is as much as one can manage or control: The baby's tantrums made him a handful.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
usage note for handful
See -ful.
Words nearby handful
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use handful in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for handful
handful
/ (ˈhændfʊl) /
noun plural -fuls
the amount or number that can be held in the hand
a small number or quantity
informal a person or thing difficult to manage or control
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012