few

UK: /ˈfjuː/ US: /fju/ ,(fyo̅o̅)

Inflections of 'few' (adj):

fewer

adj comparative

fewest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

few /fyu/   adj., -er, -est, n., pron. 
adj. [before a plural noun]

1. not many but more than one;
   scarcely any;
   hardly any:
   Few artists live luxuriously.
2. some;
   several:
   [a + ~] A few artists did manage to live luxuriously.

n. [plural* used with a plural verb]

3. a small number or amount:
   [a + ~] Did everyone go home? No, a few were still waiting.
4. the few, a special, limited number;
   the minority:
   a concert that appeals to the few.

pron. [plural]

5. a small number of persons or things:
   Many are called, but few are chosen.

Idioms

6. Idioms few and far between, placed at widely separated intervals;
   not frequent or plentiful:
   Chances like this are few and far between.
7. Idioms quite a few, [before a plural noun] a fairly large number of;
   many:
   He had quite a few girlfriends.

Usage

When few is used with a noun, the noun is plural:
few speakers; a few speakers; quite a few speakers.
Note also the slight difference in meaning between few and a few. When few is used without a the meaning is "a small amount of; not as many as expected'':
Few learners can hope to speak Chinese perfectly.
When a few is used, the meaning is more positive: "some, but not many'':
A few learners can hope to speak Chinese perfectly.
See little. In many grammar books, fewer and less are opposed. fewer should be used with plural count nouns:
fewer books,
while less is only to be used with noncount nouns:
less money.
In informal style, many speakers use less before plural nouns:
less books,
but never use fewer before noncount nouns; no one would say:
fewer money.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

few  (fyo̅o̅), adj., -er, -est, n., pron. 
adj. 

1. not many but more than one:
   Few artists live luxuriously.
2. Idioms few and far between, at widely separated intervals;
   infrequent:
   In Nevada the towns are few and far between.

n. 

3. (used with a pl. v.) a small number or amount:
   Send me a few.
4. Idioms quite a few, a fairly large number;
   many:
   There were quite a few interesting things to do.
5. the few, a special, limited number;
   the minority:
   That music appeals to the few.

pron. 

6. (used with a pl. v.) a small number of persons or things:
   A dozen people volunteered, but few have shown up.

• bef. 900; Middle English fewe, Old English fēawe; cognate with Gothic fawai; akin to Latin paucus few, paulus little, pauper poor, Greek paûros little, few

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

few / fjuː/ determiner

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
3. (preceded by a) a small number of: a few drinks
4. (as pronoun; functioning as plural): a few of you will progress to the next round
5. a good few ⇒ several
6. few and far between ⇒ at great intervals; widely spaced
7. not abundant; scarce
8. not a few, quite a few ⇒ several

noun

1. the few ⇒ a small number of people considered as a class: the few who fell at Thermopylae
   Compare many4

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

ˈfewness noun

USAGE
less