handful

hand·ful

noun \ˈhan(d)-ˌfu̇l\

plural handfuls\-ˌfu̇lz\ also hands·ful\ˈhan(d)z-ˌfu̇l\

Definition of HANDFUL

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

1. The children collected seashells by the handful.
2. Our dog is a real handful.

First Known Use of HANDFUL

before 12th century

Related to HANDFUL

Synonyms: couple, few, scatter, scattering, smatter, smattering, sprinkle, sprinkling

Antonyms: army, crowd, flock, gazillion, horde, host, jillion, kazillion, legion, loads, many, mountain, multitude, oodles, scads, thousands, zillion

Related Words: minority; atom, crumb, fragment, grain, iota, jot, modicum, molecule, particle, scrap, shred, tittle, whit

Near Antonyms: majority, most; abundance, excess, plenty, surplus; deal, gobs, heap, lot, mass, much, peck, pile, plenitude, plenty, pot, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, slather, slew, stack, wad, wealth

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Rhymes with HANDFUL

armful, bagful, bellpull, brimful, bulbul, cageful, canful, capful, carful, cheekful, chestful, chock-full, cupful, drawerful, earful, eyeful, fistful, forkful, glassful, houseful, in full, jarful, John Bull, jugful, lapful, mouthful, mugful, outpull, pailful, panful, pipeful, pit bull, plateful, potful, push-pull, rackful, roomful, sackful, scoopful, shelfful, skinful, spadeful, spoonful, stageful, steel wool, tankful, tinful, topful, trainful, trayful, truckful, trunkful, tubful