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
In a separate statement, the White House listed a handful of complaints and assertions made over the years against VOA regarding specific incidents and editorial judgments.
—
Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2025
Disturbed is a regular fixture on a handful of Billboard charts these days.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Of course, Trump is eagerly taking credit for a handful of positive data points while blaming his predecessor for, or simply shrugging at, all the bad news.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Though, bizarrely, that doesn’t appear to be a focus for Square Enix, as Chrono Trigger is currently only available on mobile phones and PC via Steam, with ports that have arrived with font issues and a handful of bugs.
—Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for handful
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Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2025
Disturbed is a regular fixture on a handful of Billboard charts these days.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Of course, Trump is eagerly taking credit for a handful of positive data points while blaming his predecessor for, or simply shrugging at, all the bad news.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025
Though, bizarrely, that doesn’t appear to be a focus for Square Enix, as Chrono Trigger is currently only available on mobile phones and PC via Steam, with ports that have arrived with font issues and a handful of bugs.
—Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 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 23 Mar. 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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