few

F0096700 (fyo͞o)adj. few·er, few·est 1. Amounting to or consisting of a small number: one of my few bad habits. See Usage Note at less.2. Being more than one but indefinitely small in number: bowled a few strings.n. (used with a pl. verb)1. An indefinitely small number of persons or things: A few of the books have torn jackets.2. An exclusive or limited number: the discerning few; the fortunate few.pron. (used with a pl. verb) A small number of persons or things: "For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14).

[Middle English fewe, from Old English fēawe; see pau- in Indo-European roots.]

few′ness n.

few

(fjuː) determiner1. a. a small number of; hardly any: few men are so cruel. b. (as pronoun; functioning as plural): many are called but few are chosen. 2. (preceded by a) a. a small number of: a few drinks. b. (as pronoun; functioning as plural): a few of you. 3. a good few informal several4. few and far between a. at great intervals; widely spacedb. not abundant; scarce5. have a few have a few too many to consume several (or too many) alcoholic drinks6. not a few quite a few informal severalnthe few a small number of people considered as a class: the few who fell at Thermopylae. Compare many⁴[Old English fēawa; related to Old High German fao little, Old Norse fār little, silent] ˈfewness nUsage: See at less

few

(fyu)

adj. -er, -est,
n., pron. adj. 1. not many but more than one: Few artists live luxuriously. n. 2. (used with a pl. v.) a small number or amount: Send me a few. 3. the few, a special, limited number; the minority: music that appeals to the few. pron. 4. (used with a pl. v.) a small number of persons or things. Idioms: 1. few and far between, placed at widely separated intervals; not plentiful. 2. quite a few, a fairly large number; many. [before 900; Middle English fewe, fēal; Old English fēawe; c. Old Saxon faho, fā little, Old High German fao, fō, Old Norse fārs, Gothic fawai few] few′ness, n.

few

a few">a few1. used in front of nouns

Few and a few are both used in front of nouns, but they do not have the same meaning. You use a few simply to show that you are talking about a small number of people or things.

I'm having a dinner party for a few close friends.Here are a few ideas that might help you.

When you use few without 'a', you are emphasizing that there are only a small number of people or things of a particular kind. So, for example, if you say 'I have a few friends', you are simply saying that you have some friends. However, if you say 'I have few friends', you are saying that you do not have enough friends and are lonely.

There were few resources available.2. used as pronouns

Few and a few can be used in a similar way as pronouns.

Doctors work an average of 90 hours a week, while a few work up to 120 hours.Many were invited but few came.3. 'not many'

In conversation and in less formal writing, people don't usually use few without 'a'. Instead they use not many. For example, instead of saying 'I have few friends', people usually say 'I haven't got many friends' or 'I don't have many friends'.

They haven't got many books.I don't have many visitors.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'few' or 'a few' when you are talking about a small amount of something. Don't say, for example, 'Would you like a few more milk in your tea?' You say 'Would you like a little more milk in your tea?'

See little - a little

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	few - a small elite group; "it was designed for the discriminating few"elite, elite group - a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status
Adj.	1.	few - a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a'; a small but indefinite number; "a few weeks ago"; "a few more wagons than usual"; "an invalid's pleasures are few and far between"; "few roses were still blooming"; "few women have led troops in battle"fewer - (comparative of `few' used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of; "fewer birds came this year"; "the birds are fewer this year"; "fewer trains were late"some - quantifier; used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity; "have some milk"; "some roses were still blooming"; "having some friends over"; "some apples"; "some paper"many - a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `as' or `too' or `so' or `that'; amounting to a large but indefinite number; "many temptations"; "the temptations are many"; "a good many"; "a great many"; "many directions"; "take as many apples as you like"; "too many clouds to see"; "never saw so many people"

few

determiner1. not many, one or two, hardly any, scarcely any, rare, thin, scattered, insufficient, scarce, scant, meagre, negligible, sporadic, sparse, infrequent, scanty, inconsiderable In some districts there are few survivors.
not many many, divers (archaic), abundant, plentiful, sundry, manifold, inexhaustible, multifarious, bounteouspronoun1. a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, a scattering, some, scarcely any A strict diet is appropriate for only a few.few and far between scarce, rare, unusual, scattered, irregular, uncommon, in short supply, hard to come by, infrequent, thin on the ground, widely spaced, seldom met with Successful women politicians were few and far between.

Translations

不多的几乎没有很少的

few

(fjuː) adjective, pronoun not many; a very small number of. Few people visit me nowadays; every few minutes (= very frequently); Such opportunities are few.很少的a few a small number (emphasizing that there are indeed some). There are a few books in this library about geology; We have only a few left.少数few and far between very few. Interesting jobs are few and far between.稀少

few means `not many'.
a few means `some'.
see also less.

few

→ 不多的zhCN, 几乎没有zhCN

Could you wait here for a few minutes? (US)
Can you wait here for a few minutes? (UK) → 您能在这儿等几分钟吗？

few

See:

a few
a few bricks short of a (full) load
a few bricks shy/short of a load
a few cards short of a (full) deck
a few cards shy of a (full) deck
a few fries short of a Happy Meal
a few sandwiches short of a picnic
a few ticks
a few, two, etc. bricks short of a load
a man of few words
a man/woman of few words
a woman of few words
be few and far between
bricks shy of a load
drop (one) a few lines
drop (one) a line
drop (one) a note
drop a line and drop a few lines; drop a note
elevator doesn't go to the top floor, the
few and far between
few bricks short of a load
get off a few good ones
hang a few on
have a few
have a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock
have a few too many
have a loose screw
have a screw loose
have been around the block a few times
have had a few
have one too many
have several irons in the fire
have too many irons in the fire
he who begins many things finishes but few
He who begins many things, finishes but few
hoist a few
I have to wash a few things out
kill (an amount of time)
man of few words
man of few words, a
Many are called but few are chosen
many are called, but few are chosen
of few words
of few words, man of
open a few doors
open some doors
precious few
precious few/little
precious little
pull (some/a few) strings
pull (some/a few) wires
pull strings
quite a bit
quite a few
raise (some/a few) eyebrows
raise some eyebrows
ruffle a few feathers
ruffle somebody's/a few feathers
say a few words
send (one) on an errand
send (one) to glory
send (one) up the river
spend (some amount of time) in (some place)
the chosen few
tie up (some/a few) loose ends
to name (but) a few
to name a few
Win a few, lose a few
you can't make an omelet without breaking (a few) eggs
You win some, you lose some
you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette

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Synonyms for few

determiner not many

Synonyms

Antonyms

pronoun a small number

Synonyms

phrase few and far between

Synonyms

Antonyms for few

noun a small elite group

Related Words

adj a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by 'a'

Related Words

Antonyms