handful
noun
hand·ful
ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l 
plural handfuls
ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇lz
also handsful
ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l
also handsful
ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l
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
Examples of handful in a Sentence
The children collected seashells by the handful.
Our dog is a real handful.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nabulsi’s inter-generational drama is carefully composed, though the movie’s other subplots (concerning its handful of American and British characters) tend to be more stilted.
—
Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
These shares are only bettered by a handful of players across the league.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
These factors prevented them from scaling beyond a handful of large medical centers.
—Jack Hidary, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
As ever, though, the gains are far from uniform, and a handful of states continue to account for an oversized share of the carnage.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2025
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Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
These shares are only bettered by a handful of players across the league.
—Thom Harris, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
These factors prevented them from scaling beyond a handful of large medical centers.
—Jack Hidary, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
As ever, though, the gains are far from uniform, and a handful of states continue to account for an oversized share of the carnage.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handful
Cite this Entry
“Handful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/handful. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
handful
noun
hand·ful
ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l
plural handfuls
-ˌfu̇lz
also handsful
ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l
also handsful
ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l
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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