few
not many but more than one: Few artists live luxuriously.
(used with a plural verb) a small number or amount: Send me a few.
the few, a special, limited number; the minority: That music appeals to the few.
(used with a plural verb) a small number of persons or things: A dozen people volunteered, but few have shown up.
Idioms about few
few and far between, at widely separated intervals; infrequent: In Nevada the towns are few and far between.
quite a few, a fairly large number; many: There were quite a few interesting things to do.
Origin of few
1Other words from few
- o·ver·few, adjective
Words Nearby few
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use few in a sentence
A few days later, Bush replied, “We will uphold the law in Florida.”
Like many Americans—but few Republican presidential candidates—the former Florida governor has evolved on the issue.
Sputtering, I manage a few “hut-hut-huts” with the other students.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTWe do see that a few European countries have them on the books: Germany, Poland, Italy, Ireland, a couple more.
So it might be me projecting my desires onto Archer to want to just get away from work for a few weeks.
‘Archer’ Creator Adam Reed Spills Season 6 Secrets, From Surreal Plotlines to Life Post-ISIS | Marlow Stern | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST
And she would be wearing some of the jewels with the white dress—just a few, not many, of course.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. WilliamsonBut I hope at least to play to him a few times, and what is more important, to hear him play repeatedly.
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FaySo after a few minutes I remarked to him, "Everything tastes very sweet out of this spoon!"
Music-Study in Germany | Amy FayDrowned every few seconds by our tremendous salvoes, this more nervous noise crept back insistently into our ears in the interval.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian Hamiltonfew people, I think, realize that, and fewer still realize the reasonable consequences of that.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation | H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
British Dictionary definitions for few
/ (fjuː) /
a small number of; hardly any: few men are so cruel
(as pronoun; functioning as plural): many are called but few are chosen
(preceded by a)
a small number of: a few drinks
(as pronoun; functioning as plural): a few of you
a good few informal several
few and far between
at great intervals; widely spaced
not abundant; scarce
have a few or have a few too many to consume several (or too many) alcoholic drinks
not a few or quite a few informal several
the few a small number of people considered as a class: the few who fell at Thermopylae Compare many (def. 4)
Origin of few
1few
Derived forms of few
- fewness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with few
In addition to the idioms beginning with few
- few and far between
- few bricks shy of a load
- few words
also see:
- a few
- bricks shy of a load, (a few)
- of few words
- precious few
- quite a bit (few)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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