handful

noun

hand·​ful ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce handful (audio)
plural handfuls ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇lz How to pronounce handful (audio) also handsful ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce handful (audio)
Synonyms of handfulnext
1
: as much or as many as the hand will grasp
2
: a small quantity or number
a handful of people
3
: as much as one can manage
the kids are quite a handful

Synonyms of handful

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Examples of handful in a Sentence

The children collected seashells by the handful. Our dog is a real handful.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sieler is one of a handful of players who personifies what Sullivan and Hafley intend to build. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026 Rugged island Flores, located in the southeast of the Indonesian archipelago, is one of a handful of islands in the world’s most populous Muslim nation with a Christian majority, with 80% of its two million inhabitants identifying as Roman Catholic. — Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 22 Oct. 2026 That’s 35% of the value of the S&P 500 and the highest concentration in a handful of stocks since just before the crash of 1929. — Ming Lu, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026 On the classic Aerial Adventure ropes course, three difficulty levels with a handful of diverging paths give visitors plenty of reasons to try the obstacles more than once. — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for handful

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of handful was before the 12th century

Rhymes for handful

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Browse Nearby Words

hand frame
handful
hand gallop
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Cite this Entry

“Handful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handful. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

handful

noun
hand·​ful ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce handful (audio)
plural handfuls -ˌfu̇lz How to pronounce handful (audio) also handsful ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce handful (audio)
1
: as much or as many as the hand will grasp
a handful of jelly beans
2
: a small quantity or number
a handful of people
3
: as much as one can control or manage
the three babies are quite a handful
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