few

[ fyoo ]

adjective

, few·er, few·est.

1. not many but more than one:

   Few artists live luxuriously.

noun

1. (used with a plural verb) a small number or amount:

   Send me a few.

2. the few, a special, limited number; the minority:

   That music appeals to the few.

pronoun

1. (used with a plural verb) a small number of persons or things:

   A dozen people volunteered, but few have shown up.

few

/ fjuː /

determiner

1. 1. a small number of; hardly any

      few men are so cruel

   2. ( as pronoun; functioning as plural )

      many are called but few are chosen

2. preceded by a
   1. a small number of

      a few drinks

   2. ( as pronoun; functioning as plural )

      a few of you

3. a good few informal.
   several
4. few and far between
   1. at great intervals; widely spaced
   2. not abundant; scarce
5. have a few or have a few too many
   to consume several ( or too many) alcoholic drinks
6. not a few or quite a few informal.
   several

noun

1. the few
   a small number of people considered as a class Compare many

   the few who fell at Thermopylae

Usage

See less

Derived Forms

• ˈfewness, noun

Other Words From

• over·few adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of few¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English fewe, Old English fēawe; cognate with Gothic fawai; akin to Latin paucus “few,” paulus “little,” pauper “poor,” Greek paûros “little, few”

Word History and Origins

Origin of few¹

Old English fēawa ; related to Old High German fao little, Old Norse fār little, silent

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. few and far between, at widely separated intervals; infrequent:

   In Nevada the towns are few and far between.

2. quite a few, a fairly large number; many:

   There were quite a few interesting things to do.

More idioms and phrases containing few

• a few
• bricks shy of a load, (a few)
• of few words
• precious few
• quite a bit (few)

Example Sentences

Coming out of the first few shows, we realized that not only is it working, it’s like all our ideas have landed.

From Los Angeles Times

What was here in potential was an immersive experience — maybe the first of its kind — where you can faithfully represent your live performance so that there’s only a few giveaways that it’s not actually happening live in front of you.

From Los Angeles Times

The first few songs are shot from a steady position in the audience.

From Los Angeles Times

Penske, 87, said he plans few noticeable changes to what Jim Michaelian, the Grand Prix’s president and CEO, has set for next year.

From Los Angeles Times

The authority said, alongside the cost concerns, it believed falling birth rates across Suffolk and nationally meant there could be too few students attending in the future, potentially making a new school "financially unsustainable."

From BBC

Related Words

• several
• some