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
The role earned him one Emmy and a handful of nominations, however, he's admitted that not every episode was award-worthy.
—
Kate Hogan, People.com, 16 May 2025
Over the years, Carter has also delivered a handful of projects on his own, which have been met with middling commercial success.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Australia hosted a handful of satellite launches by US and British rockets more than 50 years ago.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 May 2025
While Pompeo's Meredith has narrated the entirety of season 21, she's only made a handful of in-person appearances at Grey Sloan.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for handful
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Kate Hogan, People.com, 16 May 2025
Over the years, Carter has also delivered a handful of projects on his own, which have been met with middling commercial success.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Australia hosted a handful of satellite launches by US and British rockets more than 50 years ago.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 May 2025
While Pompeo's Meredith has narrated the entirety of season 21, she's only made a handful of in-person appearances at Grey Sloan.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 16 May 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 21 May. 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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