bucketful

noun

buck·​et·​ful ˈbə-kət-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce bucketful (audio)
plural bucketfuls ˈbə-kət-ˌfu̇lz How to pronounce bucketful (audio) or bucketsful ˈbə-kəts-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce bucketful (audio)
: as much as a bucket will hold
broadly : a large quantity

Examples of bucketful in a Sentence

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.
Even when Paradise pulls a classic Fogel-move, like circling back to a minor character to reveal a bucketful of backstory that connects to the main plot in surprising! — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025 There’s been a bucketful of Emilia news over the past seven days, including more noms at the French Lumière Awards, and a spat between Selena Gomez and Eugenio Derbez, whose unpleasant comments about Gomez’s performance caught heat. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1564, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bucketful was in 1564

Browse Nearby Words

bucketer
bucketful
bucket hat
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Cite this Entry

“Bucketful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bucketful. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

bucketful

noun
buck·​et·​ful ˈbək-ət-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce bucketful (audio)
plural bucketfuls
-ət-ˌfu̇lz
 or bucketsful -əts-ˌfu̇l How to pronounce bucketful (audio)
: the amount a bucket holds
also : a large quantity

More from Merriam-Webster on bucketful

Nglish: Translation of bucketful for Spanish Speakers

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