# handful

/ˈhændˌfʊɫ/ (US) · /hˈændfəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/handful
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. amount in a hand

noun · CEFR B1

the amount of something you can hold in one hand.

For teachers: the quantity of a substance or group of objects that can be contained within a single hand.

- He grabbed a handful of nuts from the bowl while watching the game.
- The child scattered a handful of birdseed across the pavement, watching as the pigeons descended from the rooftops.

### 2. a small number

noun · CEFR B1

a small number of people or things.

For teachers: a small, often unspecified number of individuals or items, typically implying a minority.

- Only a handful of students showed up for the extra study session.
- Despite the heavy marketing campaign, only a handful of protesters gathered outside the embassy to voice their concerns.

### 3. difficult person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

someone or something that is very difficult to control or manage.

For teachers: a person, animal, or situation that is troublesome or difficult to manage. Often used with the verb 'to be'.

- Their youngest son is a bit of a handful at the supermarket.
- The new puppy proved to be quite a handful, chewing through several expensive cables before the owners invested in professional training.

### 4. prison sentence

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang

a five-year stay in prison.

For teachers: a prison sentence of five years. Derived from the five fingers on a hand.

- He was lucky to get away with just a handful for such a serious crime.
- The judge handed down a handful, ensuring the defendant would remain behind bars until the middle of the decade.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.