Examples of how to use the word “few” in a sentence. How to connect “few” with other words to make correct English sentences.
few (det, adj, pron): some, or a small number of something; a small number or not many
Use “few” in a sentence
| May I ask you a few questions? |
| I have a few things I want to make clear. |
| Things have improved considerably over the last few years. |
| A few important facts emerged after the investigation. |
| She has been studying English for a few years. |
| Would you please wait for a few minutes? |
| The pain will go away by itself within a few days. |
| A few people clapped after his lecture. |
| May I ask you a few questions? |
| He made a few mistakes but did well overall.
Back to “3000 Most Common Words in English” |
Do you ever get confused wondering how and when to use certain words in a sentence to express the right meaning? Of course, you do. In fact, many people find it complicated to place the right article and use the right word sometimes. And we are most definitely talking about the usage of “few,” “a few,” and “the few”.
While the word “few” is simply the indication of something less or little, using it in a sentence can be complicated. For instance, if “few” is interchanged with “a few,” it will change the direction of the sentence. That is because it can mean differently in different contexts.
Let us get a better idea with some examples.
Few
“Few” is a very general term we all normally use in our speech or writing when we intend to mean not many or hardly any. “Few” describes that there are not many or a lot of things or people. It is a quantifier used to indicate something that is less than expected.
Let us look at some examples;
- Few things were included in the workshop.
- Few people can cook good food.
We see, when we use “few” we are indicating that not many things or people. It is a negative quantifier. It describes something less than what one wished. Some more examples are;
- Few people went shopping this festive season.
- Few children arrived late.
“Few” does not describe a definite number.
A Few
When we talk about the usage of “a few,” we need to understand that we are referring to a small number. In short, we are referring to some, some number of people or things. It means a small number, but a number definitely exists, unlike “few,” which can mean almost none.
Let us look at some examples;
- I have a few people I can count on.
- A few of us went shopping last night.
We see, “a few” is a positive quantifier, and it describes some number of things or people present. It lays positive emphasis on the fact that there is a small number. Some other examples are;
- While all are educated, only a few get hired.
- Only a few of them got the chance to meet the president.
The few
“The few” is used very rarely. It is used when one refers to the chosen some. It includes a small number of people or things that have some distinction. “The few” is the number of particular people or things that exist at that point and are identified.
Let us understand with some examples;
- The few people that danced with me are all seniors.
- I went out with the few friends that I have.
We see, “the few” is a definite number of something or someone that is particularly known or identified. It is more like an abstract number indicating a minority.
So we noticed that it sometimes gets confusing. To make it easier, one needs to remember that “few” is any or none, “a few” is some, and “the few” is a particular number of something. If one is clear about these, it will be easier.
A sentence using the word few. The sentences below are ordered by length from shorter and easier to longer and more complex. They use few in a sentence, providing visitors a sentence for few.
- And why were they so few? (8)
- She walked back a few steps. (8)
- A few things only are plain. (16)
- I just want a few words with you. (9)
- The window was only a few feet up. (8)
- Few young men and maids were seen. (10)
- Few men have been graver than Pascal. (10)
- She came, therefore, in a few minutes. (8)
- Time stood at a few minutes past eleven. (10)
- Like to sprinkle a few ashes over my boils? (9)
- There was lively work in the next few seconds. (7)
- Is that to be his voyage-from which so few return? (8)
- A few seconds later they were looking at him again. (8)
- Only a few inches separate the living from the dead. (2)
- But after a few moments, Jackson answered it slowly. (13)
- A few minutes later they rode out from the straw-yard. (8)
- Few among them were having it in the breast as loudly. (10)
- Lord Larrian owns to there being few heroes in an army. (10)
- He retired, and in a few moments ushered in Emilia Belloni. (10)
- We were within a few hours of eloping together for Scotland. (4)
- She sought to collect a few more of the scattered fragments. (10)
- A diligence engaged to deliver me within a few miles of Sarkeld. (10)
- It looked as if those few rifle-shots had slain ten thousand men. (1)
- He intends to quit it in a few Days, and to begin his route to Italy. (4)
- Lydia left a few lines for his wife, informing her of their intention. (4)
- She had the advantage of him in the preparation of the last few moments. (4)
- Philip Cook, of Virginia, had written a few graceful and musical lyrics. (14)
- Since Babel there have been few such chances for learning the languages. (14)
- He is a saver of life and limb whose services few but showmen appreciate. (21)
- Miss Greydon was already making a few good-natured sallies at the Colonel. (18)
- Thus do the few who live but with the day: The scientific animals are they. (10)
- Still it was all held, and shut with glass doors, in a case of very few shelves. (9)
- There were ten, and the number was increased by a few more before the business was settled. (14)
- Until the events of the last few days he had been almost-supernaturally steady all this year. (8)
- For some few painful moments the farmer could not speak, and his hand was raised rejectingly. (10)
- Jolyon could feel the muzzle, where a few whitish bristles grew, cooling already against his lips. (8)
- They are far removed from the scene of a few hours before and gaze curiously at the surroundings. (21)
- He follows a few simple maxims that work out well enough in selling shoes or cigars or sheet-music. (16)
- It was a foolish precipitation last Christmas, but the evil of a few days may be blotted out in part. (4)
- What the devil was the good of a she-ass if she could not carry a sleeping-bag and a few necessaries? (2)
- But the temptation to make money will be before you every moment, and to-day few men can resist that. (13)
- Within the last few days the evidence against him has increased to the extent of justifying his arrest. (12)
- I know a few rather authoritative persons who sincerely assign to you quite a high position among mortals. (12)
- He turned his head neither to the right nor to the left, and disappeared in a few strides among the foliage. (2)
- Gradually the secrets of his technic were revealed to the ambitious few; now they are almost common property. (3)
- The wonderful revolution a few days had effected in all my tastes and desires, did not escape me at this moment. (6)
- He wrote a few underlined words, entreating Vittoria to grant an immediate interview in the library of the castle. (10)
- The merchants, traders, lawyers and doctors were principally to be found on Front Street and a few on Market Street. (18)
- In all those preparations he forgot nothing, employing every minute of the few hours in a sort of methodic exaltation. (8)
- Assuredly very few even of the philosophers would have turned away uncomplainingly to meaner delights the moment after. (10)
- Could I have sent a few happy lines, they should not have been wanting, but nothing of that nature was ever in my power. (4)
- The Barnard referred to was, of course, the infamous judge from whom, a few years later, the judicial robes were stripped. (16)
- Such it seemed to her, till she could have shrieked; but only a few fresh tears started down her cheeks, and she lay enduring it. (10)
- Such it seemed to her, till she could have shrieked; but only a few fresh tears started down her cheeks, and she lay enduring it. (22)
- While I thought over this difficulty, Trevanion came up, and in a few words, informed me more fully upon what he hinted at before. (6)
- As in other show cities, there is a routine at Quebec for travellers who come on Saturday and go on Monday, and few depart from it. (9)
- The varieties of dormer-windows that he can put on the roof are limited to a few that are capable of being reasonably constructed. (17)
- Thus, among their intricate hills, the rustic troop subsisted; and history can attribute few exploits to them but sacraments and ecstasies. (2)
- From the gallery above many civilian spectators looked down upon the gayety, and the dress-coats of a few citizens figured among the uniforms. (9)
- He lay there a long time, watching the sunlight wheel till the crab-trees threw shadows over the bluebells, his only companions a few wild bees. (8)
- There area few rococo churches in Italy, and perhaps more in Spain, which approach the perfection achieved by the Wurzburg cathedral in the baroque style. (9)
- They stand closely together along straight thoroughfares which are little better than canals of mud, being only a few inches above the level of the river. (20)
Also see sentences for: feverishness, fewer.
Definition of few:
- few, f, adj. small in number: not many. | n. few’ness. | a few, used colloquially for ‘a good bit;’ a good few, a considerable number; in few=in a few (words), briefly; some few, an inconsiderable number; the few, the minority. (0)
Glad you visited this page with a sentence for few. Now that you’ve seen how to use few in a sentence hope you might explore the rest of this educational reference site Sentencefor.com to see many other example sentences which provide word usage information.
More Sentence Examples
Select First Letter
Quantitative words (words that associate a number with them) are all over the place in English! You’ve probably heard of words like “few,” “some,” “many,” and “several” before. Did you know that each of these words comes with a different meaning and a different amount based on the context, though. So, let’s find out the answer to two simple questions. What is a few? And how much is a few?
The definition of “a few” in numbers are relative to the overall amount. It typically means two or more but is always used when the overall amount of things is already defined. For example, if ten people attend a party, a few can be male, while the others are female. The exact number isn’t relevant, but “a few” is used to show probably only about three or four.
However, if we look at the term in relative means and compare it to an audience of 100,000 people, a few would mean something else. If you said “a few of the audience is disruptive,” you could be talking about anything from a dozen to a few hundred or even a thousand. That’s why “a few” is such a relative term, and there’s no real way to give it a precise number that might help with the explanation.
Some people like to believe that “a few” is the next logical step up from “a couple,” which would make it equal to three, but this is a common misconception. A few can equal a lot more than three, but it can just as easily equal two in certain cases. It entirely depends on the context, and you’ll want to get used to that before using it yourself.
10 Examples Of How To Use “A Few” In A Sentence
Now that we’ve covered the general idea behind the relativity of the quantity of “a few,” it’s time to look at how we might use it in sentences. We’ll give you plenty of examples here to give you a wide range of when you might use it. You’ll notice that in each case, the overall number is either directly stated or already implied, which is where we use “a few.”
- A few of the party guests are getting hungry.
- A few of the audience members won’t be quiet.
- A few of my friends already have cars.
- A few of my family haven’t met my daughter yet.
- I dedicated a few of my last twenty years to my career.
- The last few years have flown by. (The relative amount is the entire lifespan of the speaker).
- The last few sentences make perfect sense.
- The next few weeks are going to be exciting. (Again, few is used relative to a year, a few weeks could be two or more of the fifty-two weeks in a year)
- I’ll need a few minutes to get ready.
- I’ll give you a few ideas.
You’ll see in most cases that the quantity is implied, though there are some situations where it seems that “a few” is used as a standalone number. There’s always something to compare it to, though. If you look at “a few minutes to get ready,” then someone is referring to the minutes in an hour. They’ll only need a few to get ready. The same goes for “a few ideas,” they’ll have plenty of ideas about various things, but they’ll give “a few” to you about what you’re asking for.
Synonyms For “A Few”
Okay, now that we’ve got that sorted, it’s time to look at a few alternatives to “a few” (see what we did there). If you aren’t comfortable using the term because you’re worried you might get the context wrong, don’t worry! There’s always a workaround in English, and you can swap it out for a different word that holds the same meaning.
- Hardly any
A good way to say that not many of the overall number of things or people are referred to.
- A small number
This time, we’re directly saying that it’s a small number of things, but we’re not saying the exact number.
- One or two / three or four
If you have a rough idea of the number of things, you can use the “number or number” phrase to emphasize it.
You may also like:
How many is A couple? Here’s the FULL explanation (+10 EXAMPLES)
How many is Some? Here’s the FULL explanation (+10 EXAMPLES)
How many is Several? Here’s the FULL explanation (+10 EXAMPLES)
How many is Many? Here’s the FULL explanation (+10 EXAMPLES)
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
Synonym: many. Similar words: a few, fee, Jew, new, sec., veg, be, beg. Meaning: [fjuː] 
n. 1. an indefinite but relatively small number 2. a small elite group. adj. a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a’; a small but indefinite number.
Random good picture Not show
1. Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice. 
2. Fat hens lay few eggs.
3. Few words to the wise suffice.
4. Few rich men own their property.The property owns them.
5. Many are called but few are chosen.
6. Books and friends should be few but good.
7. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.
8. Have but few friends, though many acquaintances.
9. Books, like friends, should be few and well chosen.
10. Love all, trust a few, be false to none.
11. A thousand friends are few, one enemy is too many.
12. Few candidates had received any training in management.
13. She went aside for a few moments.
14. Very few students learn Latin now.
15. He hastily stuffed a few clothes into a bag.
16. I’ve been setting aside a few pounds each week.
17. We’d had a few jars down the pub.
18. The seeds will sprout in a few days.
19. He packed a few things into a bag.
20. For a few seconds nobody said anything.
21. The horsemen cantered round the field a few times.
22. It happened a few minutes ago.
23. Let the soup simmer a few minutes.
24. Prices have risen sharply over the last few months.
25. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.
26. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,(sentencedict.com) and some few to be chewed and digested. Francis Bacon
27. It is discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.
28. To live long is almost everyone’s wish, but to live well is the ambitiion of a few.
29. One foe is too many; and a hundred friends too few.
30. One enemy [foe] is too many; and a hundred friends too few.
More similar words: a few, fee, Jew, new, sec., veg, be, beg, bet, bow, chew, cow, crew, fan, far, feel, fewer, flee, flow, fog, for, free, fuel, fur, get, he, her, hey, how, ie.