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Showing results for a few. Search instead for a+few.
Synonyms

a few

Idioms  

  1. A small number of persons or things. This phrase can differ slightly from few used alone, which means “not many.” For example, The party was to end at eight, but a few stayed on indicates that a small number of guests remained, whereas The party began at eight, and few attended means that hardly any guests came. [Late 1200s] Also see quite a bit (few).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hotels have been experimenting with QR codes and other digital tipping options for more than a few years now because many of us don’t carry cash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

The Premier League takes the views of stakeholders on board every summer and tweaks a few interpretations.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

While those cook, prepare a few additional eggs and separate the yolks.

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026

It currently has just a few hundred operational satellites, while SpaceX has more than 10,000 and already serves both enterprise customers and the wider public.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

We heard too that the Red Army was closer now than we had thought, only a few miles on the other side of Dresden.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.