fistful

Thân thiện

A child holds a fistful of colorful marbles.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small quantity or number that can be held in a closed hand: Refers to an amount of a substance, typically loose or granular, that one can grasp in their fist.
   • An informal measure indicating a handful, often implying a modest but sufficient amount: Used figuratively to describe a small, indefinite number of items or a small amount of something abstract.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She added a fistful of fresh herbs to the soup.
  • He won only a fistful of votes in the election.
  • The child grabbed a fistful of sand from the beach.

Advanced Usage

• "a fistful of dollars": A phrase popularized by film titles, used to denote a tangible but limited amount of money, often cash.

  • The job paid just a fistful of dollars, but it was better than nothing.

• Used for emphasis on a small, concentrated amount: Often implies the amount is all one can hold or manage at once.

  • He was clutching a fistful of important documents.

Variants and Related Words

• Handful (n): A similar term meaning the amount a hand can hold; often used interchangeably, though "handful" can also mean a small, manageable number of people or things, or a person who is difficult to control.
  • She took a handful of candies from the bowl.

Synonyms

• Handful: An amount that fills the hand.
• Grasp: The act of holding or the amount that can be held.
• Grip: A firm hold; the amount secured in a hand.

Related Phrases

• A fistful of [something]: A common collocation to specify the substance or item being held.
  • a fistful of coins, a fistful of hair, a fistful of hope (figurative)

Học thuật

Noun

1. the quantity that can be held in the hand

Từ đồng nghĩa

• handful