handful
n. countablen. a small number of people or things. It can also describe a person or animal that is difficult to control because they are very active or annoying.
n. a small, indeterminate quantity or number; alternatively, a person or thing that is difficult to manage or control. Often used figuratively to imply that a small group is still significant or that a single individual is particularly demanding.
Only a handful of people showed up for the meeting.
The teacher found the new student to be quite a handful during the first week of classes.
While the protest attracted thousands in the capital, only a handful of activists gathered in the smaller provincial towns to voice their dissent against the new policy.
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”).
Commonly used with the preposition 'of' when referring to a quantity ('a handful of'). When describing a difficult person, it is typically used with the indefinite article ('is a handful').
a handful peoplea handful of peopleWhen used as a quantifier, this noun must be followed by the preposition 'of'of' before the plural noun.