few

Meaning

Det

1. An indefinite, but usually small, number of.
2. Not many; a small (in comparison with another number stated or implied) but somewhat indefinite number of.
3. Obscuring one to two oktas (eighths) of the sky.
4. (US?) Having a 10 percent chance of measurable precipitation (0.01 inch); used interchangeably with isolated.

Pron

Few people, few things.

Synonyms

little

some

several

small

not many

scarce

scanty

a little

sparse

rare

scant

bit

a little bit

less

not much

poor

small quantity

in short supply

thin

tiny

small amount

minority

meager

a bit

uncommon

meagre

limited

any

gaunt

trifling

many

couple

👫

tenuous

slight

a few

🤏

skimpy

seldom

lack

jot

insignificant

precious

short

infrequent

dispersed

indistinct

inadequate

dietetic

idle

humiliated

nothing much

Translations

peu

poco

wenig

pochi

pocos

weinig

poco

pouco

poc

az

🤏

wenige

quelques

poucos

algunos

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fjuː/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: fewe

Inherited from Old English: fēaw

Cognate with Old Saxon: fā

Cognate with Old High German: fao

Cognate with Old Norse: fár

Cognate with Gothic: 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍃

Cognate with Latin: paucus

In summary

From Middle English fewe, from Old English fēaw (“few”), from Proto-West Germanic *fau, from Proto-Germanic *fawaz (“few”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w- (“few, small”).
Cognate with Old Saxon fā (“few”), Old High German fao, fō (“few, little”), Old Norse fár (“few”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍃 (faus, “few”). Also related with Latin paucus (“little, few”) and pauper (“poor”), from which latter English poor and pauper; see these.

Sentences

Have many acquaintances , but few friends .

In those days , very few of the people had any idea about astronomy .

The driver died the following day , and the stoker a few days after that .

We got few vegetables and fruits , and became fish eaters .

Wright , Mike Payne , Mary Holt and Ken Hawkins to name a few .

There are only a few episodes that do not contain a summation .