fewdeterminer, pronoun
uk/fjuː/us/fjuː/few determiner, pronoun (SOME)
a few
More examples
- The weather is expected to remain clear for the next few days.
- Our costs have climbed rapidly in the last few years.
- After the trip, it was nice getting back to a few home comforts.
- A few rays of sunlight pierced the smoke.
- A few scatter cushions would help to brighten up that old sofa.
A2 some, or a small number of something:
I need to get a few things in town.
There are a few slices of cake left over from the party.
We've been having a few problems with the new computer.
If you can't fit all the bags in your car, I can take a few in mine.
"How many potatoes do you want?" "Oh, just a few, please."
Note:
- A few is used with countable nouns. Compare small.
A2 used in expressions such as "quite a few" to mean "quite a large number":
I know quite a few people who have had the same problem.
Lots of people at the club are under 20, but there are quite a few who aren't.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Small in number and quantity
- beggarly
- below
- certain
- could count sth on (the fingers of) one hand idiom
- drabs
- flicker
- less
- little
- mild
- minimal
- modest
- narrow
- negligible
- niggardly
- none to speak of idiom
- outside
- slender
- small
- thinly
- under
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Masses and large amounts of things
Idiom(s)
have a few (too many)
fewdeterminer, pronoun, noun, adjective
uk/fjuː/us/fjuː/few determiner, pronoun, noun, adjective (NOT MANY)
B1 a small number or not many:
It was embarrassing how few people attended the party.
He is among the few people I can trust.
Very few people can afford to pay those prices.
Few of the children can read or write yet.
Few things in this world give me more pleasure than a long bath.
We get few complaints.
According to the survey, as few as ten percent of us are happy with our jobs.
The benefits of the planned changes are few.
Compare
little determiner
fewer
B1 a smaller number:
Fewer people smoke these days than used to.
We received far fewer complaints than expected.
Fewer than 3,500 tigers are left in the wild today.
Note:
- Few is used with countable nouns.
few and far between
C2 not happening or existing very often:
Apartments that are both comfortable and reasonably priced are few and far between.
More examples
- He created a wonderful meal from very few ingredients.
- There are very few fish at depths below 3,000 metres.
- She had a devastating beauty/charm/smile that few men could resist.
- It was a bit dispiriting to see so few people arriving for the meeting.
- The man was standing only a few feet away.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Scarce, inadequate and not enough
- be at a premium idiom
- be thin on the ground idiom
- dearth
- deficiency
- deficient
- gold dust
- late
- long on sth and short on sth idiom
- lousy
- meagre
- measly
- mingy
- nearly
- rare
- scarcity
- shortage
- shortfall
- sparse
- supply
- thin
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Rarely & infrequently
Idiom(s)
a man/woman of few words
no fewer than