handful

This term evokes a tactile sense of limitation, grounding the concept of a small amount in the physical capacity of a human hand. When used to describe a quantity, it suggests an informal, approximate measurement rather than a precise count. When applied to a person, the word shifts from a measure of quantity to a measure of effort. It characterizes someone as demanding or unruly, implying that they require a great deal of energy to manage, as if they are too much for one person to hold or control.