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

Even those with simple index funds have watched their portfolios become increasingly concentrated in a handful of AI-linked companies that are now selling off.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

For 20 years, he served as one of only a handful of pro-democracy lawmakers in the legislature, largely made up of pro-Beijing loyalists.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

The death chamber was taken down and all but a handful of the remaining condemned inmates were relocated from segregated housing in San Quentin to other facilities across the state after Newsom’s 2019 moratorium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

And over the past several months, I’ve received a handful of emails from readers asking what packaged, prepared and otherwise convenient foods I actually buy.

From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026

Her family is one of only a handful of Black families that live on the north side.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

He said it had alerted "handfuls" of bodies, and that it was aware of a "couple of impacts".

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

The argument is that the variety packs of 120 mini Halloween candies run between $18 and $20 — but they don’t necessarily serve 100 kids, because trick-or-treaters tend to grab handfuls.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

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

While other children were reaching for fruit snacks, I was sneaking handfuls of Castelvetranos from the appetizer tray.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

So many handfuls to one measure, so many measures to one sack; one after the other the sacks are filled and put away, with rejoicing and thankfulness.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

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