handfulnoun
uk/ˈhænd.fʊl/us/ˈhænd.fʊl/handful noun (AMOUNT)
[ C ] an amount of something that can be held in one hand:
He pulled out a handful of coins from his pocket.
More examples
- The coffee machine suddenly ejected a handful of coins.
- I use two handfuls of pasta per person.
- Add a large handful of chopped herbs.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Measurements of volume: informal
- -ful
- boatload
- cup
- cupful
- dessertspoon
- fistful
- glass
- jarful
- payload
- plate
- plateful
- pot
- spadeful
- spoonful
- tablespoonful
- tankful
- tbsp
- truckload
- tsp
- worth
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handful noun (A FEW)
B2 [ S ] a small number of people or things:
She invited all her friends to her party, but only a handful of them turned up.
More examples
- The government has blamed the protests on a handful of evildoers.
- Only a handful of spectators turned up to watch the event.
- The centre is staffed by a handful of volunteers.
- He only knows a handful of different recipes.
- There were only a handful of guests at the reception.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Words meaning small pieces and amounts
- by a nose idiom
- chip
- clipping
- crumb
- dollop
- droplet
- flake
- germ
- jot
- nose
- pat
- patch
- pennyworth
- pinprick
- ray
- scattering
- scintilla
- shadow
- shard
- shred
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handful noun (DIFFICULT PERSON)
[ S ] a person, often a child, who is difficult to control:
Her older son is fine but the little one is a bit of a handful.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Difficult things and people
- a (heavy) cross to bear idiom
- a bitter pill (to swallow) idiom
- a hard/tough nut to crack idiom
- albatross
- bane
- chill
- equation
- handicap
- hiccup
- hot potato
- impediment
- job
- labyrinth
- liability
- nut
- the chill wind of sth idiom
- the hard way idiom
- the sharp end
- the/a devil of a sth idiom
- thorn in your flesh/side idiom
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