handful
n.-
1 amount in a hand (n.) B1 Intermediatethe amount of something you can hold in one hand.
the quantity of a substance or group of objects that can be contained within a single hand.
ExampleHe grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl while watching the game.
ExampleThe child scattered a handful of birdseed across the pavement, watching as the pigeons descended from the rooftops.
- fistful
- palmful
-
2 a small number (n.) B1 Intermediatea small number of people or things.
a small, often unspecified number of individuals or items, typically implying a minority.
ExampleOnly a handful of students showed up for the extra study session.
ExampleDespite the heavy marketing campaign, only a handful of protesters gathered outside the embassy to voice their concerns.
- few
- sprinkling
- smattering
Show 2 more sensesShow fewer
-
3 difficult person (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informalsomeone or something that is very difficult to control or manage.
a person, animal, or situation that is troublesome or difficult to manage. Often used with the verb 'to be'.
ExampleTheir youngest son is a bit of a handful at the supermarket.
ExampleThe new puppy proved to be quite a handful, chewing through several expensive cables before the owners invested in professional training.
-
4 prison sentence (n.) C2 Proficiency Slang Lawa five-year stay in prison.
a prison sentence of five years. Derived from the five fingers on a hand.
ExampleHe was lucky to get away with just a handful for such a serious crime.
ExampleThe judge handed down a handful, ensuring the defendant would remain behind bars until the middle of the decade.
From Middle English handful, hondful, from Old English handfull (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic handufullō, handufulliz (“handful”), from Proto-Germanic handuz (“hand”) + fullaz (“full”); equivalent to hand + full (“fullness, plenty”) or hand + -ful. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hondful (“handful”), West Frisian hânfol (“handful”), Dutch handvol (“handful”), German Handvoll (“handful”), Danish håndfuld (“handful”), Swedish handfull (“handful”), Icelandic handfylli (“handful”).