few

A2 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /fjuː/ UK [fjʉː] See IPA manual

Homophones

phew /fjuː/

Freq #331

Meanings

1

det
A small number of; not many.

Very few people came to the meeting.
2

det
Some, but a relatively small number (with 'a').

There are a few cars in the street.
3

pron
A small number of people or things.

Many are called, but few are chosen.
4

noun
A small, special group.

The luxury car was designed for the discriminating few.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

little

Opposites

many

Word family

Forms fewerfewestfewness

Derived forms cover-fewfew-shotfewfoldfewlyfewness

Related forms paucity poor

Appears in

Idioms (1)

See all

few and far between
rare and separated by long intervals or distances

Simplified etymology

Few is an Old English word whose ancient root is also represented by Latin paucus “small.” That Latin relative is the source of English paucity.

Etymology

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.

*peh₂w- Proto-Indo-European fewe Middle English fēaw Old English *fau Proto-West Germanic *fawaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# few

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** det, pron, noun
**IPA (US):** /fjuː/
**IPA (UK):** [fjʉː]
**Frequency rank:** 331

## Meanings
1. A small number of; not many.
2. Some, but a relatively small number (with 'a').
3. A small number of people or things.
4. A small, special group.

## Examples
- Very few people came to the meeting.
- There are a few cars in the street.
- Many are called, but few are chosen.
- The luxury car was designed for the discriminating few.

## Synonyms
- little

## Antonyms
- many

## Derived Forms
- cover-few
- few-shot
- fewfold
- fewly
- fewness

## Related Forms
- paucity
- poor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *peh₂w-
- Root: fewe
- Root: fēaw
- Root: *fau
- Root: *fawaz

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Few comes 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. In current use, the main senses are “A small number of; not many” and “Some, but a relatively small number (with 'a')”.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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few