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

Only a handful of US states mandate teaching of it, leading to a patchwork of different content and approaches across the country, so volunteers, teachers and charities are stepping up.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

It has turned out to be an enabler of a handful of killer apps.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

I can’t think of a T-shirt that I’ve worn in the past handful of years that wasn’t a vintage T-shirt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Years ago, I was talking to my cousin—also English—about how one could find the Premiership compelling when only a small handful of upper-crust blue bloods ever have a shot at winning.

From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026

The few remaining barrels were being rolled to the open hatch to be hefted on deck by a handful of waiting men in their haphazard blanket and coal soot disguises.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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

Other nights I raid the freezer for peas and carrots, handfuls of spinach or little nuggets of sweet potato in the middle of winter.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

It was, in effect, a couple of handfuls of stocks stuffed into a can and then left undisturbed for at least 10 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 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

After every snowfall, we brought handfuls to him and watched him rub the flakes between his fingers.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover