det
few
fyoo
det
1
A small number of; not many.
"Only a few people showed up to the meeting."
"She has few complaints about her new job."
pron
1
A small number of people or things, used on its own.
"Many were invited, but few came."
How to Use Few
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small, limited number of something.
Common mistake
"Few" (small number, slightly negative) is different from "a few" (a small number, neutral or positive) — "few people came" sounds disappointing, "a few people came" just states a fact.
Common pairings
a few
quite a few
very few
Word Forms
fewer comparative, less comparative, fewest superlative, least superlative
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Etymology
From Old English fēaw ("few"), from a Germanic and ultimately Proto-Indo-European root meaning "small, few."