Definition of few in English:

few

adjective, pronoun, & determinerfjuː

1a fewA small number of.
少量；几个
as determiner may I ask a few questions?
我可以问几个问题吗？
as pronoun I will recount a few of the stories told me
我要讲几个我听过的故事。
there are hundreds of applicants but only a few are selected
Example sentencesExamples
- Otherwise, leave a few of the old plants in if there is space and let them set seed.
- Well buy a few of them and stick your chocolate in that, it won't get warmer or go dead cold.
- The reason for my letter is to ask if I and a few of my fellow fliers are the only ones to object?
- So, a few of us who would like to keep it going have decided to take it upon ourselves to start it up anew.
- Now returned to her, we hoped it would help answer a few questions about the old boy.
- Not as simple or elegant as the original, but a few of the additions are pretty good.
- I spoke to a few of the lads that I knew at Dewsbury and they encouraged me to come down.
- If we'd beaten them in a few of those finals people would be saying the exact opposite.
- Many have attended rehearsal classes five nights a week and a few of them seven days a week.
- So we asked a few of them for half a dozen innovations in retail that are getting them excited.
- Place the warm fennel on the plate and arrange the fish on top with a few of the cucumber pieces.
- There are a few of the lads I used to play with who are now in the first team like Bryan Stewart.
- These are just a few of the instances that I can remember of being let down by the council.
- After the last day in the office on the Friday a few of us went out for beers in Aoyama.
- We came up with a few of those by copying and exaggerating things that we and our friends got up to!
- I will be based near a few of the training camps and hope to see what the England boys are doing.
- What happened was I thought that a few of the posts on my blog were in a different font.
- She also asked him a few more questions until we were certain he was my twin brother.
- As so often with these affairs the pace was furious enough to scare a few of the veterans on show.
- These are a few of the facts known at the time, you now have to decide, war or no war.
Synonyms
not many, hardly any, scarcely any
a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, one or two, a couple, two or three
2Used to emphasize how small a number of people or things is.
用于强调数量之少没几个；几乎没有
as determiner he had few friends
他几乎没有朋友。
as pronoun few thought to challenge these assumptions
几乎没有人想过去质疑这些假设。
very few of the titles have any literary merit
这几种书刊几乎没有几本有文学价值。
a club with as few as 20 members
只有20个成员的俱乐部。
comparative a population of fewer than two million
不足200万的人口。
as adjective sewing was one of her few pleasures
缝纫是她为数不多的爱好之一。
superlative ask which products have the fewest complaints
问一下哪些产品的投诉最少。
Example sentencesExamples
- This time there are three too many who do not watch them and three too few who do.
- It is one of Cumbria's few evergreen flora of the fells and can be seen all year round.
- It is one of the few abbeys to have survived to the present day as a parish church.
- Try to be nice about it though and offer them a can of beer or you will make few friends.
- There were no airs and very few graces, just a good eye and an uncomplicated swing at the ball.
- He also spared few people his assurances that just about no one was as powerful as he was.
- There are very few close ups and at times its hard to tell whose doing what to whom and why.
- These parties may win many of their votes on the race issue, but they win very few votes.
- Sport is full of unusual people of high ability, but very few of them are film stars.
- The Thals are one of the very few powers in this world able to make me root for the Daleks.
- His education, he told me, was unlikely to get him a decent job and he had few friends.
- The few people who do go shooting on this land only get what is needed for the pot.
- There are few people in this world who deserve any or all of the adulation they receive.
- Jeff and I were one of the few friends that were lucky to get lockers next to each other.
- Hall is one of those who left the pit, with few regrets, as soon as he was paid to do so.
- It needs to have a mass appeal so it stays firmly in the mainstream and takes few risks.
- In fact it is a great place to take kids of all ages - relaxing and with few long queues.
- If we lose or draw, then I wouldn't see us being able to make up that ground in so few games.
- There were so many of them and so few tables that some of them were forced to share.
- It's a sorry thing to say, but very few objects in my home give me a pure aesthetic thrill.
Synonyms
not many, hardly any, scarcely any
scarce, scant, scanty, meagre, insufficient, negligible, in short supply

nounfjuːfju

as plural noun the few

1The minority of people; the elect.
少数人；特权阶层
art is not just for the few
Example sentencesExamples
- This little gem is entitled The Many Not The Few, and is a paen to socialist ideals.
- They believe they are, as stressed by a famous advertisement recruiting campaign, ‘The Few, The Proud’.
- Emancipation is not a right that can be curtailed in favour of the interests of the few.
- Do you believe in the Welfare of the Community or the Welfare of the Few.
- He has written 17 books, including: Democracy for the Few, Dirty Truths, Against Empire, and The Terrorism Trap.
- What it did do, spectacularly, was showcase how the loudest and best-connected Few can dictate customs to the Many.
- The world belongs to the few, not to the many, and least of all to all.
- We should concentrate on peace and health for all before we embark on glory for the few.
- Richard Douthwaite is the author of The Growth Illusion: How Economic Growth Enriched the Few, Impoverished the Many and Endangered the Planet.
- The Few, The Proud - a Norfolk Marine tells the story of a rooftop fight in Iraq.
Synonyms
a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, one or two, a couple, two or three
1. 1.1British The RAF pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain.
  〈英〉参加过不列颠之战的少数几个英国皇家空军飞行员
  Example sentencesExamples
  He read The Few: Summer 1940, the Battle of Britain by Philip Kaplan and Richard Collier.
  The Few, as Churchill dubbed the Fighter Command aircrew, were not the free-spirited, knights of the air, officer types immortalised by the media.
  It was great to see the unveiling of the Battle Of Britain memorial in London as a tribute to The Few, to whom we undoubtedly owe a profound debt for their sacrifice and bravery 65 years ago.
  Yes, and I'm sure the Few fought the Battle of Britain so that chinless little Nazis could fight elections in this country.
  The only sad part is that The Few are becoming fewer every year, and it won't be the same when they're gone.
  More than 20,000 Spitfires were built but the aircraft that carried The Few are now sadly few themselves.
  We all know that the Royal Air Force, the Few, won the Battle of Britain in 1940 to prevent a Nazi invasion.
  He was well known for his part in Gone with the Wind and had just starred with David Niven in The First of the Few, the story of the Spitfire.
  The 60th anniversary of the defining air battle of the Second World War will see people gathering across North and East Yorkshire to remember the Few.
  In common with ceremonies across the land, the Last Post and Reveille rang out as the Few were remembered and honoured.
  It's called The Few and it takes place in The Battle of Britain.

Usage

Fewer versus less: strictly speaking, the rule is that fewer, the comparative form of few, is used with words denoting people or countable things (fewer members; fewer books). Less, on the other hand, is used with mass nouns, denoting things which cannot be counted (less money; less bother). It is regarded as incorrect in standard English to use less with count nouns, as in less people or less words, although this is one of the most widespread errors made by native speakers. It is not so obvious which word should be used with than. Less is normally used with numerals (a score of less than 100) and with expressions of measurement or time (less than two weeks; less than four miles away), but fewer is used if the things denoted by the number are seen as individual items or units (there were fewer than ten contestants)

Phrases

every few

Once in every small group of (typically units of time)
（尤指时间单位）每隔几…一次
she visits every few weeks
她每隔几周来访一次。
Example sentencesExamples
- Marlborough, being an old coaching stop-over town, once boasted a pub every few steps.
- But forty or so of you who visit at least once every few days think I'm doing something right.
- As I sat down at my desk, I couldn't stop running my hands through my hair and flicking it every few seconds.
- Decant the mixture into a spray bottle and spray once every few days on your garden.
- She also hopes to visit Britain every few months to attend council meetings.
- You've got to understand that he and I only talk once every few months on the phone.
- The emphasis was moving away from local struggles to big protests once every few months.
- The mobile phone keeps ringing every few minutes and messages have her grinning widely.
- And it has to be said that this particular topic has a habit of coming around at least once every few years.
- With a bulk shop online once every few weeks you can top up on all basic foodstuffs and household items.

few and far between

Scarce; infrequent.
稀少的；稀疏的；罕见的
my inspired moments are few and far between
我很少有充满灵感的时刻。
Example sentencesExamples
- There are moments of genuine wit, but they are too few and far between to make a noticeable difference.
- In a world befogged by superficiality, moments of clarity are few and far between.
- Realistically, however, at his age opportunities to make blockbusters are few and far between.
- Benefits from privatisation/fragmentation have been few and far between but this is one of them.
- The chance of people learning by experience gets less and less as the jobs become few and far between.
- But the cases where physical evidence exists to prove their innocence are few and far between.
- Raises to Bahamians will be few and far between, and they will try to extract the most out of the workers.
- Details remain few and far between, and as yet no background studies have been prepared.
- Television ads are few and far between; the yard signs and badges are more scarce.
- Make it easy on yourself - enjoy the magic moments in life - they are too few and far between.
Synonyms
scarce, scant, scanty, meagre, insufficient, negligible, in short supply

a good few

A fairly large number of.
少量；几个
we sat there for a good few minutes
Example sentencesExamples
- He knew Loiseau personally, has met many of the great chefs and has put a good few of their meals under his belt.
- Three of these heads of state and a good few of the ordinary victims perished after 1899.
- One group of four people were actually observed to sit down for a good few minutes and read all of them in-depth.
- Naturally a good few of the questions are rather risqué, which made for some interesting moments.
- I'm not ready for the full team but that makes me no different to a good few of the younger strikers who have been making the squads.
- At 28 MacLean is right to consider that he has a good few years left in him.
- The possibilities are endless and the film manages to explore a good few of them.
- His collection of old York images numbers 2,500, and a good few of those show the tramway.
- After a good few more video sessions, we know about the French strengths and possible weaknesses.
- While a good few of those ten happened on more than a one-off occasion, one every twelve months does seem rather spartan.
Synonyms
an amount, a number, a good few, a good number, a lot, a large amount, good deal, great deal, a good deal, a great deal

have a few

informal Drink enough alcohol to be slightly drunk.
〈非正式〉喝得醉醺醺
Example sentencesExamples
- Puff has no more effect on you than alcohol and certainly does not turn you violent when you have had a few like booze.
- He's a laugh, just a bit moody when he's had a few.
- The most worrying thing is, I've had quite a few and my spelling is still impekabel.
- Oh well, no harm done, he's a happy loving guy when he's had a few.
Synonyms
drink alcohol, take alcohol, tipple, indulge

no fewer than

Used to emphasize a surprisingly large number.
强调数量大得惊人不少于，多达
there are no fewer than seventy different brand names
不同的品牌名称多达70种。
Example sentencesExamples
- Although they got no further than the foothills, Patricia and Peter found no fewer than three new species of rhododendron.
- Club action returns this week with no fewer than five teams in action.
- In North America, when a C-section is performed, no fewer than four doctors are present in the room.
- Over the period it has topped the yearly sales charts no fewer than 11 times.
- The 33 individuals identified by Scotland on Sunday between them share no fewer than 69 posts.
- In fact, there should have been no fewer than four Leevale runners on the team for Sunday's long course race.
- Eventually, he was supplying designs to no fewer than 50 manufacturers.
- In Afghanistan, no fewer than three such operations were mounted.
- Built by car manufacturer Ford, the car, worth half a million pounds, was surrounded by no fewer than four security guards.
- And I've just discovered that next March contains no fewer than five Mondays.

not a few

A considerable number.
众多的，相当多的，不少的
virtually every soul star, and not a few blues singers, learned to sing in church
Example sentencesExamples
- How you feel about this will color your judgment of the work but won't decrease your enjoyment of the good parts, of which there are not a few.
- John knew every haulage owner and driver as well as registration numbers and make of lorries in Connacht and not a few from outside as well.
- But his critics, and they were not a few, said privately that the benevolent Burke image would not last.
- Rodger's book is a veritable feast of facts (and not a few prejudices), culled from a vast range of sources and laced with some salty anecdotes.
- If rakhi day brings happiness to many men in town, it also brings disappointment to not a few, especially on the city's campuses.
- And not a few of Le Va's recent drawings are downright epic in scale and symbolic reach.
- This sentiment is shared by not a few, many of whom are committed to the belief that country comes first.
- One could make the case that over the course of history Europe has produced most of the great scientific insights and not a few of the major inventions.
- I don't understand why not a few on the right feel the need to defend the sorts of people who make off with millions after failing miserably in their job.
- I must now take responsibility for enraging my party leader, alienating the people of a great city, and incurring the anger of not a few of The Spectator's readers.

quite a few

A fairly large number.
〈英〉相当多的
quite a few people got the wrong impression
Example sentencesExamples
- Sligo has been waiting for quite a few things for a long time and now two of them come together.
- I explained quite a few more times but eventually he just shut his window and took no notice.
- There are others, of course, quite a few of them, but it'd be boring to list them all.
- It means that I have to buy everybody presents, and not get anything back from quite a few.
- Branson understands that quite a few of us harbour a desire to rise above the multitude.
- Yes quite a few, it's one of the things about living in London or any big city I guess.
- He has been able to find sufficient time to create quite a few items during his free time.
- I am not sure I have a hero as such, but there are quite a few figures that I admire.
- You need quite a few to make the juice for this jelly, and it is much easier to do if you have a blender or food processor.
- He admits that quite a few very experienced climbers have died on the West Ridge route.

some few

Some but not many.
一些，有些
Example sentencesExamples
- Despite these well-documented stories, there are still some few people who cling to the small hope that they can have a ‘normal life’ - as they believe it.
- I see no sign of let up - some few deserters - plenty tired of war, but the masses determined to fight it out.
- There are some few Englishmen who treat ignorant public opinion with the contempt that it deserves - and I am one of them.
- We like the Nigerians, but we want some few Americans or British, to help them out and ensure the stability of our country.
- This is because some few hundred vegetable, fruit and grocery vendors set up shop here from the wee hours (as they have been doing for over two decades) and by residents' consensus, the leftover wares of the day are left behind.
- I was with your husband just some few hours ago and he told me about the mealie meal issue you were discussing early this morning.
- In some few principles, or perhaps in one simple principle, they all united.
- Remember how long the regime for paying for hospital treatment lasted when it affected the whole population - some few months - until everyone knew someone that had been asked to pay and decided that it was not acceptable.
- Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
- I unreservedly apologise on behalf of brother priests and religious [members of the church community] for the hurt that has been done by some few of our number.

Origin

Old English fēawe, fēawa, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fao, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin paucus and Greek pauros 'small'.

The ancient root of few is shared by Latin paucus ‘small’, which gives us the English word paucity (Late Middle English). The name the Few for the RAF pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain in 1940 comes from a speech by Winston Churchill in August of that year: ‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’

Rhymes

accrue, adieu, ado, anew, Anjou, aperçu, askew, ballyhoo, bamboo, bedew, bestrew, billet-doux, blew, blue, boo, boohoo, brew, buckaroo, canoe, chew, clew, clou, clue, cock-a-doodle-doo, cockatoo, construe, coo, Corfu, coup, crew, Crewe, cru, cue, déjà vu, derring-do, dew, didgeridoo, do, drew, due, endue, ensue, eschew, feu, flew, flu, flue, foreknew, glue, gnu, goo, grew, halloo, hereto, hew, Hindu, hitherto, how-do-you-do, hue, Hugh, hullabaloo, imbrue, imbue, jackaroo, Jew, kangaroo, Karroo, Kathmandu, kazoo, Kiangsu, knew, Kru, K2, kung fu, Lahu, Lanzhou, Lao-tzu, lasso, lieu, loo, Lou, Manchu, mangetout, mew, misconstrue, miscue, moo, moue, mu, nardoo, new, non-U, nu, ooh, outdo, outflew, outgrew, peekaboo, Peru, pew, plew, Poitou, pooh, pooh-pooh, potoroo, pursue, queue, revue, roo, roux, rue, Selous, set-to, shampoo, shih-tzu, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skean dhu, skew, skidoo, slew, smew, snafu, sou, spew, sprue, stew, strew, subdue, sue, switcheroo, taboo, tattoo, thereto, thew, threw, thro, through, thru, tickety-boo, Timbuktu, tiramisu, to, to-do, too, toodle-oo, true, true-blue, tu-whit tu-whoo, two, vendue, view, vindaloo, virtu, wahoo, wallaroo, Waterloo, well-to-do, whereto, whew, who, withdrew, woo, Wu, yew, you, zoo

Definition of few in US English:

few

pronoun, determiner, & adjectivefjufyo͞o

1a fewA small number of.
少量；几个
as determiner may I ask a few questions?
我可以问几个问题吗？
as pronoun I will recount a few of the stories told me
我要讲几个我听过的故事。
many believe it but only a few are prepared to say
许多人都相信有这么回事，但只有几个人愿意说出来。
Example sentencesExamples
- Many have attended rehearsal classes five nights a week and a few of them seven days a week.
- She also asked him a few more questions until we were certain he was my twin brother.
- As so often with these affairs the pace was furious enough to scare a few of the veterans on show.
- Place the warm fennel on the plate and arrange the fish on top with a few of the cucumber pieces.
- I will be based near a few of the training camps and hope to see what the England boys are doing.
- I spoke to a few of the lads that I knew at Dewsbury and they encouraged me to come down.
- These are a few of the facts known at the time, you now have to decide, war or no war.
- If we'd beaten them in a few of those finals people would be saying the exact opposite.
- Not as simple or elegant as the original, but a few of the additions are pretty good.
- So we asked a few of them for half a dozen innovations in retail that are getting them excited.
- We came up with a few of those by copying and exaggerating things that we and our friends got up to!
- Well buy a few of them and stick your chocolate in that, it won't get warmer or go dead cold.
- What happened was I thought that a few of the posts on my blog were in a different font.
- There are a few of the lads I used to play with who are now in the first team like Bryan Stewart.
- These are just a few of the instances that I can remember of being let down by the council.
- The reason for my letter is to ask if I and a few of my fellow fliers are the only ones to object?
- Otherwise, leave a few of the old plants in if there is space and let them set seed.
- After the last day in the office on the Friday a few of us went out for beers in Aoyama.
- Now returned to her, we hoped it would help answer a few questions about the old boy.
- So, a few of us who would like to keep it going have decided to take it upon ourselves to start it up anew.
Synonyms
not many, hardly any, scarcely any
a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, one or two, a couple, two or three
2Used to emphasize how small a number of people or things is.
用于强调数量之少没几个；几乎没有
as determiner he had few friends
他几乎没有朋友。
as pronoun few thought to challenge these assumptions
几乎没有人想过去质疑这些假设。
very few of the titles have any literary merit
这几种书刊几乎没有几本有文学价值。
comparative a population of fewer than two million
不足200万的人口。
as adjective sewing was one of her few pleasures
缝纫是她为数不多的爱好之一。
superlative ask which products have the fewest complaints
问一下哪些产品的投诉最少。
one of the few who survived
Example sentencesExamples
- There were so many of them and so few tables that some of them were forced to share.
- Jeff and I were one of the few friends that were lucky to get lockers next to each other.
- In fact it is a great place to take kids of all ages - relaxing and with few long queues.
- Hall is one of those who left the pit, with few regrets, as soon as he was paid to do so.
- This time there are three too many who do not watch them and three too few who do.
- It is one of Cumbria's few evergreen flora of the fells and can be seen all year round.
- If we lose or draw, then I wouldn't see us being able to make up that ground in so few games.
- It is one of the few abbeys to have survived to the present day as a parish church.
- Try to be nice about it though and offer them a can of beer or you will make few friends.
- There were no airs and very few graces, just a good eye and an uncomplicated swing at the ball.
- There are few people in this world who deserve any or all of the adulation they receive.
- It needs to have a mass appeal so it stays firmly in the mainstream and takes few risks.
- Sport is full of unusual people of high ability, but very few of them are film stars.
- The Thals are one of the very few powers in this world able to make me root for the Daleks.
- His education, he told me, was unlikely to get him a decent job and he had few friends.
- It's a sorry thing to say, but very few objects in my home give me a pure aesthetic thrill.
- He also spared few people his assurances that just about no one was as powerful as he was.
- There are very few close ups and at times its hard to tell whose doing what to whom and why.
- The few people who do go shooting on this land only get what is needed for the pot.
- These parties may win many of their votes on the race issue, but they win very few votes.
Synonyms
not many, hardly any, scarcely any
scarce, scant, scanty, meagre, insufficient, negligible, in short supply

nounfjufyo͞o

as plural noun the few

The minority of people; the elect.
少数人；特权阶层
a world that increasingly belongs to the few
一个越来越为少数人所有的世界。
Example sentencesExamples
- The Few, The Proud - a Norfolk Marine tells the story of a rooftop fight in Iraq.
- Emancipation is not a right that can be curtailed in favour of the interests of the few.
- We should concentrate on peace and health for all before we embark on glory for the few.
- What it did do, spectacularly, was showcase how the loudest and best-connected Few can dictate customs to the Many.
- Do you believe in the Welfare of the Community or the Welfare of the Few.
- This little gem is entitled The Many Not The Few, and is a paen to socialist ideals.
- They believe they are, as stressed by a famous advertisement recruiting campaign, ‘The Few, The Proud’.
- Richard Douthwaite is the author of The Growth Illusion: How Economic Growth Enriched the Few, Impoverished the Many and Endangered the Planet.
- The world belongs to the few, not to the many, and least of all to all.
- He has written 17 books, including: Democracy for the Few, Dirty Truths, Against Empire, and The Terrorism Trap.
Synonyms
a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, one or two, a couple, two or three

Usage

Fewer versus less: strictly speaking, the rule is that fewer, the comparative form of few, is used with words denoting people or countable things (fewer members; fewer books; fewer than ten contestants). Less, on the other hand, is used with mass nouns, denoting things that cannot be counted (less money; less music). In addition, less is normally used with numbers (less than 10,000) and with expressions of measurement or time (less than two weeks; less than four miles away). But to use less with count nouns, as in less people or less words, is incorrect in standard English

Phrases

every few

Once in every small group of (typically units of time)
（尤指时间单位）每隔几…一次
she visits every few weeks
她每隔几周来访一次。
Example sentencesExamples
- She also hopes to visit Britain every few months to attend council meetings.
- The emphasis was moving away from local struggles to big protests once every few months.
- You've got to understand that he and I only talk once every few months on the phone.
- With a bulk shop online once every few weeks you can top up on all basic foodstuffs and household items.
- The mobile phone keeps ringing every few minutes and messages have her grinning widely.
- And it has to be said that this particular topic has a habit of coming around at least once every few years.
- But forty or so of you who visit at least once every few days think I'm doing something right.
- Marlborough, being an old coaching stop-over town, once boasted a pub every few steps.
- As I sat down at my desk, I couldn't stop running my hands through my hair and flicking it every few seconds.
- Decant the mixture into a spray bottle and spray once every few days on your garden.

few and far between

Scarce; infrequent.
稀少的；稀疏的；罕见的
my inspired moments are few and far between
我很少有充满灵感的时刻。
Example sentencesExamples
- Details remain few and far between, and as yet no background studies have been prepared.
- There are moments of genuine wit, but they are too few and far between to make a noticeable difference.
- In a world befogged by superficiality, moments of clarity are few and far between.
- Television ads are few and far between; the yard signs and badges are more scarce.
- But the cases where physical evidence exists to prove their innocence are few and far between.
- Realistically, however, at his age opportunities to make blockbusters are few and far between.
- Make it easy on yourself - enjoy the magic moments in life - they are too few and far between.
- Raises to Bahamians will be few and far between, and they will try to extract the most out of the workers.
- Benefits from privatisation/fragmentation have been few and far between but this is one of them.
- The chance of people learning by experience gets less and less as the jobs become few and far between.
Synonyms
scarce, scant, scanty, meagre, insufficient, negligible, in short supply

a good few

A fairly large number of.
少量；几个
it had been around for a good few years
它的存在已有好几年了。
Example sentencesExamples
- I'm not ready for the full team but that makes me no different to a good few of the younger strikers who have been making the squads.
- While a good few of those ten happened on more than a one-off occasion, one every twelve months does seem rather spartan.
- Naturally a good few of the questions are rather risqué, which made for some interesting moments.
- One group of four people were actually observed to sit down for a good few minutes and read all of them in-depth.
- The possibilities are endless and the film manages to explore a good few of them.
- At 28 MacLean is right to consider that he has a good few years left in him.
- He knew Loiseau personally, has met many of the great chefs and has put a good few of their meals under his belt.
- Three of these heads of state and a good few of the ordinary victims perished after 1899.
- His collection of old York images numbers 2,500, and a good few of those show the tramway.
- After a good few more video sessions, we know about the French strengths and possible weaknesses.
Synonyms
an amount, a number, a good few, a good number, a lot, a large amount, good deal, great deal, a good deal, a great deal

have a few

informal Drink enough alcohol to be slightly drunk.
〈非正式〉喝得醉醺醺
I tend to keep my mouth shut, unless I've had a few
Example sentencesExamples
- Oh well, no harm done, he's a happy loving guy when he's had a few.
- He's a laugh, just a bit moody when he's had a few.
- Puff has no more effect on you than alcohol and certainly does not turn you violent when you have had a few like booze.
- The most worrying thing is, I've had quite a few and my spelling is still impekabel.
Synonyms
drink alcohol, take alcohol, tipple, indulge

no fewer than

Used to emphasize a surprisingly large number.
强调数量大得惊人不少于，多达
there are no fewer than seventy different brand names
不同的品牌名称多达70种。
Example sentencesExamples
- In North America, when a C-section is performed, no fewer than four doctors are present in the room.
- In Afghanistan, no fewer than three such operations were mounted.
- Built by car manufacturer Ford, the car, worth half a million pounds, was surrounded by no fewer than four security guards.
- Although they got no further than the foothills, Patricia and Peter found no fewer than three new species of rhododendron.
- And I've just discovered that next March contains no fewer than five Mondays.
- Club action returns this week with no fewer than five teams in action.
- In fact, there should have been no fewer than four Leevale runners on the team for Sunday's long course race.
- Over the period it has topped the yearly sales charts no fewer than 11 times.
- Eventually, he was supplying designs to no fewer than 50 manufacturers.
- The 33 individuals identified by Scotland on Sunday between them share no fewer than 69 posts.

not a few

A considerable number.
众多的，相当多的，不少的
his fiction has caused not a few readers to see red
他的小说引起了相当多读者的强烈不满。
Example sentencesExamples
- If rakhi day brings happiness to many men in town, it also brings disappointment to not a few, especially on the city's campuses.
- And not a few of Le Va's recent drawings are downright epic in scale and symbolic reach.
- I don't understand why not a few on the right feel the need to defend the sorts of people who make off with millions after failing miserably in their job.
- One could make the case that over the course of history Europe has produced most of the great scientific insights and not a few of the major inventions.
- This sentiment is shared by not a few, many of whom are committed to the belief that country comes first.
- But his critics, and they were not a few, said privately that the benevolent Burke image would not last.
- How you feel about this will color your judgment of the work but won't decrease your enjoyment of the good parts, of which there are not a few.
- John knew every haulage owner and driver as well as registration numbers and make of lorries in Connacht and not a few from outside as well.
- Rodger's book is a veritable feast of facts (and not a few prejudices), culled from a vast range of sources and laced with some salty anecdotes.
- I must now take responsibility for enraging my party leader, alienating the people of a great city, and incurring the anger of not a few of The Spectator's readers.

quite a few

A fairly large number.
〈英〉相当多的
quite a few people can do it
这事许多人都干得了。
Example sentencesExamples
- I explained quite a few more times but eventually he just shut his window and took no notice.
- There are others, of course, quite a few of them, but it'd be boring to list them all.
- It means that I have to buy everybody presents, and not get anything back from quite a few.
- You need quite a few to make the juice for this jelly, and it is much easier to do if you have a blender or food processor.
- Branson understands that quite a few of us harbour a desire to rise above the multitude.
- Yes quite a few, it's one of the things about living in London or any big city I guess.
- Sligo has been waiting for quite a few things for a long time and now two of them come together.
- I am not sure I have a hero as such, but there are quite a few figures that I admire.
- He has been able to find sufficient time to create quite a few items during his free time.
- He admits that quite a few very experienced climbers have died on the West Ridge route.

some few

Some but not many.
一些，有些
some few people are born without any sense of time
Example sentencesExamples
- Remember how long the regime for paying for hospital treatment lasted when it affected the whole population - some few months - until everyone knew someone that had been asked to pay and decided that it was not acceptable.
- Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.
- This is because some few hundred vegetable, fruit and grocery vendors set up shop here from the wee hours (as they have been doing for over two decades) and by residents' consensus, the leftover wares of the day are left behind.
- I was with your husband just some few hours ago and he told me about the mealie meal issue you were discussing early this morning.
- There are some few Englishmen who treat ignorant public opinion with the contempt that it deserves - and I am one of them.
- I see no sign of let up - some few deserters - plenty tired of war, but the masses determined to fight it out.
- I unreservedly apologise on behalf of brother priests and religious [members of the church community] for the hurt that has been done by some few of our number.
- We like the Nigerians, but we want some few Americans or British, to help them out and ensure the stability of our country.
- In some few principles, or perhaps in one simple principle, they all united.
- Despite these well-documented stories, there are still some few people who cling to the small hope that they can have a ‘normal life’ - as they believe it.

Origin

Old English fēawe, fēawa, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fao, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin paucus and Greek pauros ‘small’.

词汇	few
释义	Definition of few in English: few adjective, pronoun, & determinerfjuː 1a fewA small number of. 少量；几个 as determiner may I ask a few questions? 我可以问几个问题吗？ as pronoun I will recount a few of the stories told me 我要讲几个我听过的故事。 there are hundreds of applicants but only a few are selected Example sentencesExamples Otherwise, leave a few of the old plants in if there is space and let them set seed. Well buy a few of them and stick your chocolate in that, it won't get warmer or go dead cold. The reason for my letter is to ask if I and a few of my fellow fliers are the only ones to object? So, a few of us who would like to keep it going have decided to take it upon ourselves to start it up anew. Now returned to her, we hoped it would help answer a few questions about the old boy. Not as simple or elegant as the original, but a few of the additions are pretty good. I spoke to a few of the lads that I knew at Dewsbury and they encouraged me to come down. If we'd beaten them in a few of those finals people would be saying the exact opposite. Many have attended rehearsal classes five nights a week and a few of them seven days a week. So we asked a few of them for half a dozen innovations in retail that are getting them excited. Place the warm fennel on the plate and arrange the fish on top with a few of the cucumber pieces. There are a few of the lads I used to play with who are now in the first team like Bryan Stewart. These are just a few of the instances that I can remember of being let down by the council. After the last day in the office on the Friday a few of us went out for beers in Aoyama. We came up with a few of those by copying and exaggerating things that we and our friends got up to! I will be based near a few of the training camps and hope to see what the England boys are doing. What happened was I thought that a few of the posts on my blog were in a different font. She also asked him a few more questions until we were certain he was my twin brother. As so often with these affairs the pace was furious enough to scare a few of the veterans on show. These are a few of the facts known at the time, you now have to decide, war or no war. Synonyms not many, hardly any, scarcely any a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, one or two, a couple, two or three 2Used to emphasize how small a number of people or things is. 用于强调数量之少没几个；几乎没有 as determiner he had few friends 他几乎没有朋友。 as pronoun few thought to challenge these assumptions 几乎没有人想过去质疑这些假设。 very few of the titles have any literary merit 这几种书刊几乎没有几本有文学价值。 a club with as few as 20 members 只有20个成员的俱乐部。 comparative a population of fewer than two million 不足200万的人口。 as adjective sewing was one of her few pleasures 缝纫是她为数不多的爱好之一。 superlative ask which products have the fewest complaints 问一下哪些产品的投诉最少。 Example sentencesExamples This time there are three too many who do not watch them and three too few who do. It is one of Cumbria's few evergreen flora of the fells and can be seen all year round. It is one of the few abbeys to have survived to the present day as a parish church. Try to be nice about it though and offer them a can of beer or you will make few friends. There were no airs and very few graces, just a good eye and an uncomplicated swing at the ball. He also spared few people his assurances that just about no one was as powerful as he was. There are very few close ups and at times its hard to tell whose doing what to whom and why. These parties may win many of their votes on the race issue, but they win very few votes. Sport is full of unusual people of high ability, but very few of them are film stars. The Thals are one of the very few powers in this world able to make me root for the Daleks. His education, he told me, was unlikely to get him a decent job and he had few friends. The few people who do go shooting on this land only get what is needed for the pot. There are few people in this world who deserve any or all of the adulation they receive. Jeff and I were one of the few friends that were lucky to get lockers next to each other. Hall is one of those who left the pit, with few regrets, as soon as he was paid to do so. It needs to have a mass appeal so it stays firmly in the mainstream and takes few risks. In fact it is a great place to take kids of all ages - relaxing and with few long queues. If we lose or draw, then I wouldn't see us being able to make up that ground in so few games. There were so many of them and so few tables that some of them were forced to share. It's a sorry thing to say, but very few objects in my home give me a pure aesthetic thrill. Synonyms not many, hardly any, scarcely any scarce, scant, scanty, meagre, insufficient, negligible, in short supply nounfjuːfju as plural noun the few 1The minority of people; the elect. 少数人；特权阶层 art is not just for the few Example sentencesExamples This little gem is entitled The Many Not The Few, and is a paen to socialist ideals. They believe they are, as stressed by a famous advertisement recruiting campaign, ‘The Few, The Proud’. Emancipation is not a right that can be curtailed in favour of the interests of the few. Do you believe in the Welfare of the Community or the Welfare of the Few. He has written 17 books, including: Democracy for the Few, Dirty Truths, Against Empire, and The Terrorism Trap. What it did do, spectacularly, was showcase how the loudest and best-connected Few can dictate customs to the Many. The world belongs to the few, not to the many, and least of all to all. We should concentrate on peace and health for all before we embark on glory for the few. Richard Douthwaite is the author of The Growth Illusion: How Economic Growth Enriched the Few, Impoverished the Many and Endangered the Planet. The Few, The Proud - a Norfolk Marine tells the story of a rooftop fight in Iraq. Synonyms a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, one or two, a couple, two or three 1.1British The RAF pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain. 〈英〉参加过不列颠之战的少数几个英国皇家空军飞行员 Example sentencesExamples He read The Few: Summer 1940, the Battle of Britain by Philip Kaplan and Richard Collier. The Few, as Churchill dubbed the Fighter Command aircrew, were not the free-spirited, knights of the air, officer types immortalised by the media. It was great to see the unveiling of the Battle Of Britain memorial in London as a tribute to The Few, to whom we undoubtedly owe a profound debt for their sacrifice and bravery 65 years ago. Yes, and I'm sure the Few fought the Battle of Britain so that chinless little Nazis could fight elections in this country. The only sad part is that The Few are becoming fewer every year, and it won't be the same when they're gone. More than 20,000 Spitfires were built but the aircraft that carried The Few are now sadly few themselves. We all know that the Royal Air Force, the Few, won the Battle of Britain in 1940 to prevent a Nazi invasion. He was well known for his part in Gone with the Wind and had just starred with David Niven in The First of the Few, the story of the Spitfire. The 60th anniversary of the defining air battle of the Second World War will see people gathering across North and East Yorkshire to remember the Few. In common with ceremonies across the land, the Last Post and Reveille rang out as the Few were remembered and honoured. It's called The Few and it takes place in The Battle of Britain. Usage Fewer versus less: strictly speaking, the rule is that fewer, the comparative form of few, is used with words denoting people or countable things (fewer members; fewer books). Less, on the other hand, is used with mass nouns, denoting things which cannot be counted (less money; less bother). It is regarded as incorrect in standard English to use less with count nouns, as in less people or less words, although this is one of the most widespread errors made by native speakers. It is not so obvious which word should be used with than. Less is normally used with numerals (a score of less than 100) and with expressions of measurement or time (less than two weeks; less than four miles away), but fewer is used if the things denoted by the number are seen as individual items or units (there were fewer than ten contestants) Phrases every few Once in every small group of (typically units of time) （尤指时间单位）每隔几…一次 she visits every few weeks 她每隔几周来访一次。 Example sentencesExamples Marlborough, being an old coaching stop-over town, once boasted a pub every few steps. But forty or so of you who visit at least once every few days think I'm doing something right. As I sat down at my desk, I couldn't stop running my hands through my hair and flicking it every few seconds. Decant the mixture into a spray bottle and spray once every few days on your garden. She also hopes to visit Britain every few months to attend council meetings. You've got to understand that he and I only talk once every few months on the phone. The emphasis was moving away from local struggles to big protests once every few months. The mobile phone keeps ringing every few minutes and messages have her grinning widely. And it has to be said that this particular topic has a habit of coming around at least once every few years. With a bulk shop online once every few weeks you can top up on all basic foodstuffs and household items. few and far between Scarce; infrequent. 稀少的；稀疏的；罕见的 my inspired moments are few and far between 我很少有充满灵感的时刻。 Example sentencesExamples There are moments of genuine wit, but they are too few and far between to make a noticeable difference. In a world befogged by superficiality, moments of clarity are few and far between. Realistically, however, at his age opportunities to make blockbusters are few and far between. Benefits from privatisation/fragmentation have been few and far between but this is one of them. The chance of people learning by experience gets less and less as the jobs become few and far between. But the cases where physical evidence exists to prove their innocence are few and far between. Raises to Bahamians will be few and far between, and they will try to extract the most out of the workers. Details remain few and far between, and as yet no background studies have been prepared. Television ads are few and far between; the yard signs and badges are more scarce. Make it easy on yourself - enjoy the magic moments in life - they are too few and far between. Synonyms scarce, scant, scanty, meagre, insufficient, negligible, in short supply a good few A fairly large number of. 少量；几个 we sat there for a good few minutes Example sentencesExamples He knew Loiseau personally, has met many of the great chefs and has put a good few of their meals under his belt. Three of these heads of state and a good few of the ordinary victims perished after 1899. One group of four people were actually observed to sit down for a good few minutes and read all of them in-depth. Naturally a good few of the questions are rather risqué, which made for some interesting moments. I'm not ready for the full team but that makes me no different to a good few of the younger strikers who have been making the squads. At 28 MacLean is right to consider that he has a good few years left in him. The possibilities are endless and the film manages to explore a good few of them. His collection of old York images numbers 2,500, and a good few of those show the tramway. After a good few more video sessions, we know about the French strengths and possible weaknesses. While a good few of those ten happened on more than a one-off occasion, one every twelve months does seem rather spartan. Synonyms an amount, a number, a good few, a good number, a lot, a large amount, good deal, great deal, a good deal, a great deal have a few informal Drink enough alcohol to be slightly drunk. 〈非正式〉喝得醉醺醺 Example sentencesExamples Puff has no more effect on you than alcohol and certainly does not turn you violent when you have had a few like booze. He's a laugh, just a bit moody when he's had a few. The most worrying thing is, I've had quite a few and my spelling is still impekabel. Oh well, no harm done, he's a happy loving guy when he's had a few. Synonyms drink alcohol, take alcohol, tipple, indulge no fewer than Used to emphasize a surprisingly large number. 强调数量大得惊人不少于，多达 there are no fewer than seventy different brand names 不同的品牌名称多达70种。 Example sentencesExamples Although they got no further than the foothills, Patricia and Peter found no fewer than three new species of rhododendron. Club action returns this week with no fewer than five teams in action. In North America, when a C-section is performed, no fewer than four doctors are present in the room. Over the period it has topped the yearly sales charts no fewer than 11 times. The 33 individuals identified by Scotland on Sunday between them share no fewer than 69 posts. In fact, there should have been no fewer than four Leevale runners on the team for Sunday's long course race. Eventually, he was supplying designs to no fewer than 50 manufacturers. In Afghanistan, no fewer than three such operations were mounted. Built by car manufacturer Ford, the car, worth half a million pounds, was surrounded by no fewer than four security guards. And I've just discovered that next March contains no fewer than five Mondays. not a few A considerable number. 众多的，相当多的，不少的 virtually every soul star, and not a few blues singers, learned to sing in church Example sentencesExamples How you feel about this will color your judgment of the work but won't decrease your enjoyment of the good parts, of which there are not a few. John knew every haulage owner and driver as well as registration numbers and make of lorries in Connacht and not a few from outside as well. But his critics, and they were not a few, said privately that the benevolent Burke image would not last. Rodger's book is a veritable feast of facts (and not a few prejudices), culled from a vast range of sources and laced with some salty anecdotes. If rakhi day brings happiness to many men in town, it also brings disappointment to not a few, especially on the city's campuses. And not a few of Le Va's recent drawings are downright epic in scale and symbolic reach. This sentiment is shared by not a few, many of whom are committed to the belief that country comes first. One could make the case that over the course of history Europe has produced most of the great scientific insights and not a few of the major inventions. I don't understand why not a few on the right feel the need to defend the sorts of people who make off with millions after failing miserably in their job. I must now take responsibility for enraging my party leader, alienating the people of a great city, and incurring the anger of not a few of The Spectator's readers. quite a few A fairly large number. 〈英〉相当多的 quite a few people got the wrong impression Example sentencesExamples Sligo has been waiting for quite a few things for a long time and now two of them come together. I explained quite a few more times but eventually he just shut his window and took no notice. There are others, of course, quite a few of them, but it'd be boring to list them all. It means that I have to buy everybody presents, and not get anything back from quite a few. Branson understands that quite a few of us harbour a desire to rise above the multitude. Yes quite a few, it's one of the things about living in London or any big city I guess. He has been able to find sufficient time to create quite a few items during his free time. I am not sure I have a hero as such, but there are quite a few figures that I admire. You need quite a few to make the juice for this jelly, and it is much easier to do if you have a blender or food processor. He admits that quite a few very experienced climbers have died on the West Ridge route. some few Some but not many. 一些，有些 Example sentencesExamples Despite these well-documented stories, there are still some few people who cling to the small hope that they can have a ‘normal life’ - as they believe it. I see no sign of let up - some few deserters - plenty tired of war, but the masses determined to fight it out. There are some few Englishmen who treat ignorant public opinion with the contempt that it deserves - and I am one of them. We like the Nigerians, but we want some few Americans or British, to help them out and ensure the stability of our country. This is because some few hundred vegetable, fruit and grocery vendors set up shop here from the wee hours (as they have been doing for over two decades) and by residents' consensus, the leftover wares of the day are left behind. I was with your husband just some few hours ago and he told me about the mealie meal issue you were discussing early this morning. In some few principles, or perhaps in one simple principle, they all united. Remember how long the regime for paying for hospital treatment lasted when it affected the whole population - some few months - until everyone knew someone that had been asked to pay and decided that it was not acceptable. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. I unreservedly apologise on behalf of brother priests and religious [members of the church community] for the hurt that has been done by some few of our number. Origin Old English fēawe, fēawa, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fao, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin paucus and Greek pauros 'small'. The ancient root of few is shared by Latin paucus ‘small’, which gives us the English word paucity (Late Middle English). The name the Few for the RAF pilots who took part in the Battle of Britain in 1940 comes from a speech by Winston Churchill in August of that year: ‘Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.’ Rhymes accrue, adieu, ado, anew, Anjou, aperçu, askew, ballyhoo, bamboo, bedew, bestrew, billet-doux, blew, blue, boo, boohoo, brew, buckaroo, canoe, chew, clew, clou, clue, cock-a-doodle-doo, cockatoo, construe, coo, Corfu, coup, crew, Crewe, cru, cue, déjà vu, derring-do, dew, didgeridoo, do, drew, due, endue, ensue, eschew, feu, flew, flu, flue, foreknew, glue, gnu, goo, grew, halloo, hereto, hew, Hindu, hitherto, how-do-you-do, hue, Hugh, hullabaloo, imbrue, imbue, jackaroo, Jew, kangaroo, Karroo, Kathmandu, kazoo, Kiangsu, knew, Kru, K2, kung fu, Lahu, Lanzhou, Lao-tzu, lasso, lieu, loo, Lou, Manchu, mangetout, mew, misconstrue, miscue, moo, moue, mu, nardoo, new, non-U, nu, ooh, outdo, outflew, outgrew, peekaboo, Peru, pew, plew, Poitou, pooh, pooh-pooh, potoroo, pursue, queue, revue, roo, roux, rue, Selous, set-to, shampoo, shih-tzu, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skean dhu, skew, skidoo, slew, smew, snafu, sou, spew, sprue, stew, strew, subdue, sue, switcheroo, taboo, tattoo, thereto, thew, threw, thro, through, thru, tickety-boo, Timbuktu, tiramisu, to, to-do, too, toodle-oo, true, true-blue, tu-whit tu-whoo, two, vendue, view, vindaloo, virtu, wahoo, wallaroo, Waterloo, well-to-do, whereto, whew, who, withdrew, woo, Wu, yew, you, zoo adj.1 phr. Definition of few in US English: few pronoun, determiner, & adjectivefjufyo͞o 1a fewA small number of. 少量；几个 as determiner may I ask a few questions? 我可以问几个问题吗？ as pronoun I will recount a few of the stories told me 我要讲几个我听过的故事。 many believe it but only a few are prepared to say 许多人都相信有这么回事，但只有几个人愿意说出来。 Example sentencesExamples Many have attended rehearsal classes five nights a week and a few of them seven days a week. She also asked him a few more questions until we were certain he was my twin brother. As so often with these affairs the pace was furious enough to scare a few of the veterans on show. Place the warm fennel on the plate and arrange the fish on top with a few of the cucumber pieces. I will be based near a few of the training camps and hope to see what the England boys are doing. I spoke to a few of the lads that I knew at Dewsbury and they encouraged me to come down. These are a few of the facts known at the time, you now have to decide, war or no war. If we'd beaten them in a few of those finals people would be saying the exact opposite. Not as simple or elegant as the original, but a few of the additions are pretty good. So we asked a few of them for half a dozen innovations in retail that are getting them excited. We came up with a few of those by copying and exaggerating things that we and our friends got up to! Well buy a few of them and stick your chocolate in that, it won't get warmer or go dead cold. What happened was I thought that a few of the posts on my blog were in a different font. There are a few of the lads I used to play with who are now in the first team like Bryan Stewart. These are just a few of the instances that I can remember of being let down by the council. The reason for my letter is to ask if I and a few of my fellow fliers are the only ones to object? Otherwise, leave a few of the old plants in if there is space and let them set seed. After the last day in the office on the Friday a few of us went out for beers in Aoyama. Now returned to her, we hoped it would help answer a few questions about the old boy. So, a few of us who would like to keep it going have decided to take it upon ourselves to start it up anew. Synonyms not many, hardly any, scarcely any a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, one or two, a couple, two or three 2Used to emphasize how small a number of people or things is. 用于强调数量之少没几个；几乎没有 as determiner he had few friends 他几乎没有朋友。 as pronoun few thought to challenge these assumptions 几乎没有人想过去质疑这些假设。 very few of the titles have any literary merit 这几种书刊几乎没有几本有文学价值。 comparative a population of fewer than two million 不足200万的人口。 as adjective sewing was one of her few pleasures 缝纫是她为数不多的爱好之一。 superlative ask which products have the fewest complaints 问一下哪些产品的投诉最少。 one of the few who survived Example sentencesExamples There were so many of them and so few tables that some of them were forced to share. Jeff and I were one of the few friends that were lucky to get lockers next to each other. In fact it is a great place to take kids of all ages - relaxing and with few long queues. Hall is one of those who left the pit, with few regrets, as soon as he was paid to do so. This time there are three too many who do not watch them and three too few who do. It is one of Cumbria's few evergreen flora of the fells and can be seen all year round. If we lose or draw, then I wouldn't see us being able to make up that ground in so few games. It is one of the few abbeys to have survived to the present day as a parish church. Try to be nice about it though and offer them a can of beer or you will make few friends. There were no airs and very few graces, just a good eye and an uncomplicated swing at the ball. There are few people in this world who deserve any or all of the adulation they receive. It needs to have a mass appeal so it stays firmly in the mainstream and takes few risks. Sport is full of unusual people of high ability, but very few of them are film stars. The Thals are one of the very few powers in this world able to make me root for the Daleks. His education, he told me, was unlikely to get him a decent job and he had few friends. It's a sorry thing to say, but very few objects in my home give me a pure aesthetic thrill. He also spared few people his assurances that just about no one was as powerful as he was. There are very few close ups and at times its hard to tell whose doing what to whom and why. The few people who do go shooting on this land only get what is needed for the pot. These parties may win many of their votes on the race issue, but they win very few votes. Synonyms not many, hardly any, scarcely any scarce, scant, scanty, meagre, insufficient, negligible, in short supply nounfjufyo͞o as plural noun the few The minority of people; the elect. 少数人；特权阶层 a world that increasingly belongs to the few 一个越来越为少数人所有的世界。 Example sentencesExamples The Few, The Proud - a Norfolk Marine tells the story of a rooftop fight in Iraq. Emancipation is not a right that can be curtailed in favour of the interests of the few. We should concentrate on peace and health for all before we embark on glory for the few. What it did do, spectacularly, was showcase how the loudest and best-connected Few can dictate customs to the Many. Do you believe in the Welfare of the Community or the Welfare of the Few. This little gem is entitled The Many Not The Few, and is a paen to socialist ideals. They believe they are, as stressed by a famous advertisement recruiting campaign, ‘The Few, The Proud’. Richard Douthwaite is the author of The Growth Illusion: How Economic Growth Enriched the Few, Impoverished the Many and Endangered the Planet. The world belongs to the few, not to the many, and least of all to all. He has written 17 books, including: Democracy for the Few, Dirty Truths, Against Empire, and The Terrorism Trap. Synonyms a small number, a handful, a sprinkling, one or two, a couple, two or three Usage Fewer versus less: strictly speaking, the rule is that fewer, the comparative form of few, is used with words denoting people or countable things (fewer members; fewer books; fewer than ten contestants). Less, on the other hand, is used with mass nouns, denoting things that cannot be counted (less money; less music). In addition, less is normally used with numbers (less than 10,000) and with expressions of measurement or time (less than two weeks; less than four miles away). But to use less with count nouns, as in less people or less words, is incorrect in standard English Phrases every few Once in every small group of (typically units of time) （尤指时间单位）每隔几…一次 she visits every few weeks 她每隔几周来访一次。 Example sentencesExamples She also hopes to visit Britain every few months to attend council meetings. The emphasis was moving away from local struggles to big protests once every few months. You've got to understand that he and I only talk once every few months on the phone. With a bulk shop online once every few weeks you can top up on all basic foodstuffs and household items. The mobile phone keeps ringing every few minutes and messages have her grinning widely. And it has to be said that this particular topic has a habit of coming around at least once every few years. But forty or so of you who visit at least once every few days think I'm doing something right. Marlborough, being an old coaching stop-over town, once boasted a pub every few steps. As I sat down at my desk, I couldn't stop running my hands through my hair and flicking it every few seconds. Decant the mixture into a spray bottle and spray once every few days on your garden. few and far between Scarce; infrequent. 稀少的；稀疏的；罕见的 my inspired moments are few and far between 我很少有充满灵感的时刻。 Example sentencesExamples Details remain few and far between, and as yet no background studies have been prepared. There are moments of genuine wit, but they are too few and far between to make a noticeable difference. In a world befogged by superficiality, moments of clarity are few and far between. Television ads are few and far between; the yard signs and badges are more scarce. But the cases where physical evidence exists to prove their innocence are few and far between. Realistically, however, at his age opportunities to make blockbusters are few and far between. Make it easy on yourself - enjoy the magic moments in life - they are too few and far between. Raises to Bahamians will be few and far between, and they will try to extract the most out of the workers. Benefits from privatisation/fragmentation have been few and far between but this is one of them. The chance of people learning by experience gets less and less as the jobs become few and far between. Synonyms scarce, scant, scanty, meagre, insufficient, negligible, in short supply a good few A fairly large number of. 少量；几个 it had been around for a good few years 它的存在已有好几年了。 Example sentencesExamples I'm not ready for the full team but that makes me no different to a good few of the younger strikers who have been making the squads. While a good few of those ten happened on more than a one-off occasion, one every twelve months does seem rather spartan. Naturally a good few of the questions are rather risqué, which made for some interesting moments. One group of four people were actually observed to sit down for a good few minutes and read all of them in-depth. The possibilities are endless and the film manages to explore a good few of them. At 28 MacLean is right to consider that he has a good few years left in him. He knew Loiseau personally, has met many of the great chefs and has put a good few of their meals under his belt. Three of these heads of state and a good few of the ordinary victims perished after 1899. His collection of old York images numbers 2,500, and a good few of those show the tramway. After a good few more video sessions, we know about the French strengths and possible weaknesses. Synonyms an amount, a number, a good few, a good number, a lot, a large amount, good deal, great deal, a good deal, a great deal have a few informal Drink enough alcohol to be slightly drunk. 〈非正式〉喝得醉醺醺 I tend to keep my mouth shut, unless I've had a few Example sentencesExamples Oh well, no harm done, he's a happy loving guy when he's had a few. He's a laugh, just a bit moody when he's had a few. Puff has no more effect on you than alcohol and certainly does not turn you violent when you have had a few like booze. The most worrying thing is, I've had quite a few and my spelling is still impekabel. Synonyms drink alcohol, take alcohol, tipple, indulge no fewer than Used to emphasize a surprisingly large number. 强调数量大得惊人不少于，多达 there are no fewer than seventy different brand names 不同的品牌名称多达70种。 Example sentencesExamples In North America, when a C-section is performed, no fewer than four doctors are present in the room. In Afghanistan, no fewer than three such operations were mounted. Built by car manufacturer Ford, the car, worth half a million pounds, was surrounded by no fewer than four security guards. Although they got no further than the foothills, Patricia and Peter found no fewer than three new species of rhododendron. And I've just discovered that next March contains no fewer than five Mondays. Club action returns this week with no fewer than five teams in action. In fact, there should have been no fewer than four Leevale runners on the team for Sunday's long course race. Over the period it has topped the yearly sales charts no fewer than 11 times. Eventually, he was supplying designs to no fewer than 50 manufacturers. The 33 individuals identified by Scotland on Sunday between them share no fewer than 69 posts. not a few A considerable number. 众多的，相当多的，不少的 his fiction has caused not a few readers to see red 他的小说引起了相当多读者的强烈不满。 Example sentencesExamples If rakhi day brings happiness to many men in town, it also brings disappointment to not a few, especially on the city's campuses. And not a few of Le Va's recent drawings are downright epic in scale and symbolic reach. I don't understand why not a few on the right feel the need to defend the sorts of people who make off with millions after failing miserably in their job. One could make the case that over the course of history Europe has produced most of the great scientific insights and not a few of the major inventions. This sentiment is shared by not a few, many of whom are committed to the belief that country comes first. But his critics, and they were not a few, said privately that the benevolent Burke image would not last. How you feel about this will color your judgment of the work but won't decrease your enjoyment of the good parts, of which there are not a few. John knew every haulage owner and driver as well as registration numbers and make of lorries in Connacht and not a few from outside as well. Rodger's book is a veritable feast of facts (and not a few prejudices), culled from a vast range of sources and laced with some salty anecdotes. I must now take responsibility for enraging my party leader, alienating the people of a great city, and incurring the anger of not a few of The Spectator's readers. quite a few A fairly large number. 〈英〉相当多的 quite a few people can do it 这事许多人都干得了。 Example sentencesExamples I explained quite a few more times but eventually he just shut his window and took no notice. There are others, of course, quite a few of them, but it'd be boring to list them all. It means that I have to buy everybody presents, and not get anything back from quite a few. You need quite a few to make the juice for this jelly, and it is much easier to do if you have a blender or food processor. Branson understands that quite a few of us harbour a desire to rise above the multitude. Yes quite a few, it's one of the things about living in London or any big city I guess. Sligo has been waiting for quite a few things for a long time and now two of them come together. I am not sure I have a hero as such, but there are quite a few figures that I admire. He has been able to find sufficient time to create quite a few items during his free time. He admits that quite a few very experienced climbers have died on the West Ridge route. some few Some but not many. 一些，有些 some few people are born without any sense of time Example sentencesExamples Remember how long the regime for paying for hospital treatment lasted when it affected the whole population - some few months - until everyone knew someone that had been asked to pay and decided that it was not acceptable. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. This is because some few hundred vegetable, fruit and grocery vendors set up shop here from the wee hours (as they have been doing for over two decades) and by residents' consensus, the leftover wares of the day are left behind. I was with your husband just some few hours ago and he told me about the mealie meal issue you were discussing early this morning. There are some few Englishmen who treat ignorant public opinion with the contempt that it deserves - and I am one of them. I see no sign of let up - some few deserters - plenty tired of war, but the masses determined to fight it out. I unreservedly apologise on behalf of brother priests and religious [members of the church community] for the hurt that has been done by some few of our number. We like the Nigerians, but we want some few Americans or British, to help them out and ensure the stability of our country. In some few principles, or perhaps in one simple principle, they all united. Despite these well-documented stories, there are still some few people who cling to the small hope that they can have a ‘normal life’ - as they believe it. Origin Old English fēawe, fēawa, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German fao, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin paucus and Greek pauros ‘small’. pron.1 phr.
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