a handful
Just a few
A handful is literally the amount that fits in one hand: a handful of coins, a handful of berries.
More often it means a small number or quantity: Only a handful of people showed up.
When someone—especially a child—is described as a handful, they're difficult to manage or control: That toddler is a real handful.
- fewSmall in number
- pinchSqueeze with fingertips
- smallLimited in size
- scantBarely adequate amount
- smatteringSmall scattered amount
sprinkling · clutch · grab · fistful · palmful · meager · sparse · some · couple · limited · hard to come by · reach · grasp · held tight · scoop · pick · pick up · gather