Home › Words › F › fistfulfistful/ˈfɪstˌfʊl/fistful means the amount that can be held in a closed fist.fistful is pronounced /ˈfɪstˌfʊl/.EtymologyFrom fist (noun) + -ful.nounThe amount that can be held in a closed fist.A small number of something.e.g.“At Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked, he survived to pilot Navy reconnaissance planes again and pick up a fistful of medals, from the Purple Heart to the Distinguished Flying Cross.” — 1967 June 9, “Nation: A Comer Arrives”, in Time:A blow with the fist.Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.fingerful 77% match — An amount that can be or is held by a finger. vs fistful →palmful 70% match — Enough to fill the palm of one's hand. vs fistful →hatful 66% match — The amount that will fit into a hat. vs fistful →cupful 65% match — The amount necessary to fill a cup. vs fistful →elbowful 64% match — As much as can be held in the crook of one's elbow. vs fistful →thimbleful 64% match — As much as a thimble will hold. vs fistful →gloveful 63% match — As much as a glove can hold. vs fistful →fistlike 63% match — Resembling a fist (clenched hand). vs fistful →