few

det.

adj.

1. （与复数名词和复数动词连用）不多，很少
   used with plural nouns and a plural verb to mean ‘not many’
   1. Few people understand the difference.
      很少有人了解这个差别。
   2. There seem to be fewer tourists around this year.
      今年来访的旅游者似乎少了。
   3. Very few students learn Latin now.
      现在学拉丁语的学生少得很。
2. （与复数名词和复数动词连用）有些，几个
   used with plural nouns and a plural verb to mean ‘a small number’, ‘some’
   1. We've had a few replies.
      我们已得到了一些答复。
   2. I need a few things from the store.
      我需要从商店买些东西。
   3. Quite a few people are going to arrive early.
      相当多的人打算早到。
   4. I try to visit my parents every few weeks .
      我尽量每隔几个星期看望一次父母。

pron.

1. 很少人（或事物、地方）
   not many people, things or places
   1. Very few of his books are worth reading.
      他的书值得读的太少了。
   2. You can pass with as few as 25 points.
      只需要25分就可以及格。
   3. Few will argue with this conclusion.
      很少有人会不同意这个结论。
2. 有些（人、事物、地方）；一些
   a small number of people, things or places; some
   1. I recognized a few of the other people.
      我认出了一些其他的人。
   2. I've seen most of his movies. Only a few are as good as his first one.
      他的电影多数我都看过。只有少数几部能与他的第一部媲美。
   3. Could you give me a few more details?
      你能再给我提供一些详情吗？
3. 不和…一般多；少于
   not as many as
   1. Fewer than 20 students passed all the exams.
      不到20个学生考试全部及格。
   2. There are no fewer than 100 different species in the area.
      这个地区有不少于100个的不同物种。
4. （与复数动词连用）少数人
   used with a plural verb to mean ‘a small group of people’
   1. Real power belongs to the few.
      真正的权力掌握在少数人手中。
   2. She was one of the chosen few (= the small group with special rights) .
      她属于少数享有特权的人。

1. DET 少数;几个
   You use a few to indicate that you are talking about a small number of people or things. You can also say a very few .
   1. I gave a dinner party for a few close friends...
      我为几个密友办了晚宴。
   2. We had a few drinks afterwards...
      后来我们喝了几杯。
   3. Here are a few more ideas to consider...
      这儿还有几个想法可供考虑。
   4. She was silent for a few seconds.
      她沉默了几秒钟。
   5. Few is also a pronoun.
      
   6. Doctors work an average of 90 hours a week, while a few are on call for up to 120 hours...
      医生每星期平均工作 90 个小时，有几个 24 小时候命，达到了每周 120 个小时。
   7. A strict diet is appropriate for only a few.
      严格的食谱仅对少数人适用。
   8. Few is also a quantifier.
      
   9. There are many ways eggs can be prepared; here are a few of them.
      鸡蛋有多种做法，这是其中几种。
   10. ...a little tea-party I'm giving for a few of the teachers.
       我为几个老师举行的小型茶会
2. ADJ (用于形容词和限定词后)几个，少数的
   You use few after adjectives and determiners to indicate that you are talking about a small number of things or people.
   1. The past few weeks of her life had been the most pleasant she could remember...
      过去几周是她记忆中平生最愉快的日子。
   2. The leaders are expected to fly to Mecca in the next few days to seal the agreement.
      领导人将在接下来的几天中飞往麦加签署协议。
   3. ...in the last few chapters...
      在最后几章中
   4. A train would pass through there every few minutes at that time of day.
      每天那个时候每隔几分钟就会有火车经过那里。
3. DET (前面可用 so，too，very 修饰)极少的,几乎没有
   You use few to indicate that you are talking about a small number of people or things. You can use 'so', 'too', and 'very' in front of few .
   1. She had few friends, and was generally not very happy...
      她几乎没什么朋友，总的来说不怎么开心。
   2. Few members planned to vote for him...
      几乎没什么成员打算投他的票。
   3. Very few firms collect the tax, even when they're required to do so by law.
      即使法律要求公司收税，也很少有公司这么做。
   4. Few is also a pronoun.
      
   5. The trouble is that few want to buy, despite the knockdown prices on offer.
      问题是尽管要价极低，却很少有人想买。
   6. ...a true singing and songwriting talent that few suspected.
      几乎无人质疑的唱歌和写歌的才能
   7. Few is also a quantifier.
      
   8. Few of the beach houses still had lights on...
      海滩上的房子几乎没有亮着灯的了。
   9. Few of the volunteers had military experience.
      志愿者中几乎没有人有从军经历。
   10. Few is also an adjective.
       
   11. ...spending her few waking hours in front of the TV...
       把她仅有的醒着的几个小时花在看电视上
   12. His memories of his father are few.
       他对父亲的记忆寥寥无几。
4. N-SING (尤指享有某种机遇等的)少数派，少数
   The few means a small set of people considered as separate from the majority, especially because they share a particular opportunity or quality that the others do not have.
   1. This should not be an experience for the few.
      这不应是少数几个人的经历。
   2. ...a system built on academic excellence for the few.
      建立在面向少数人的精英教育上的体制

Few and a few are both used in front of the plural of count nouns, but they do not have the same meaning. For example, if you say 'I have a few friends', this is a positive statement and you are saying that you have some friends. However, if you say 'I have few friends', this is a negative statement and you are saying that you have almost no friends. You use fewer to talk about things that can be counted. ...fewer potatoes. When you are talking about amounts that cannot be counted, you should use less. ...less meat.
few 和 a few 都可用于复数可数名词前，但意思并不相同。比如，如果说 I have a few friends，这是个肯定陈述，意思是有一些朋友。但是，如果说 I have few friends，这就是否定陈述，意思是几乎没有朋友。fewer 用于可数名词前，如fewer potatoes (更少的几个土豆)。less 则用在不可数名词前，如less meat (更少的肉)。

5. PHRASE 少至;仅有;少得只有
   You use as few as before a number to suggest that it is surprisingly small.
   1. One study showed that even as few as ten cigarettes a day can damage fertility...
      一项研究显示，一天只抽 10 支烟也会损害生育能力。
   2. The factory may make as few as 1,500 cars this year.
      今年，工厂生产的小轿车可能只有 1,500 辆。
6. PHRASE 稀少的;罕见的
   Things that are few and far between are very rare or do not happen very often.
   1. Successful women politicians are few and far between...
      成功的女政治家凤毛麟角。
   2. In this economic climate new ideas were few and far between.
      在这种经济环境下，新想法极为罕见。
7. PHRASE 不少,相当多(a good few 主要用于英国英语)
   You use not a few when you are referring to quite a lot of things or people. You can also use a good few in this way, mainly in British English.
   1. I've made this argument, and not a few people would disagree with me...
      我提出了此论点，而这会是相当多的人都不同意的。
   2. I think a good few of the others were like me, a bit confused.
      我觉得其他人中不少都像我一样，有点迷惑不解。
8. PHRASE 饮酒过度;喝多了
   If you say that someone has had a few too many or has had a few, you mean that they have drunk too many alcoholic drinks.
   1. A breathalyzer tells you you've a had a few too many.
      呼吸分析器显示你饮酒过量。
9. PHRASE 不少于;不止
   You use no fewer than to emphasize that a number is surprisingly large.
   1. No fewer than thirteen foreign ministers attended the session.
      至少有 13 国外长出席了这届会议。

1. I'll be leaving town in a few weeks
   过几周我就离开城里了。
2. She backed up a few steps.
   她后退了几步。
3. He took a few notes and made computations.
   他记了一点笔记，然后做了运算。
4. I gave a dinner party for a few close friends
   我为几个密友办了晚宴。
5. We had a few drinks afterwards
   后来我们喝了几杯。
6. Here are a few more ideas to consider
   这儿还有几个想法可供考虑。
7. She was silent for a few seconds.
   她沉默了几秒钟。
8. The past few weeks of her life had been the most pleasant she could remember
   过去几周是她记忆中平生最愉快的日子。
9. The leaders are expected to fly to Mecca in the next few days to seal the agreement.
   领导人将在接下来的几天中飞往麦加签署协议。
10. A train would pass through there every few minutes at that time of day.
    每天那个时候每隔几分钟就会有火车经过那里。
11. She had few friends, and was generally not very happy
    她几乎没什么朋友，总的来说不怎么开心。
12. Few members planned to vote for him
    几乎没什么成员打算投他的票。
13. Very few firms collect the tax, even when they're required to do so by law.
    即使法律要求公司收税，也很少有公司这么做。
14. This should not be an experience for the few.
    这不应是少数几个人的经历。
15. One study showed that even as few as ten cigarettes a day can damage fertility
    一项研究显示，一天只抽10支烟也会损害生育能力。
16. Successful women politicians are few and far between
    成功的女政治家凤毛麟角。
17. In this economic climate new ideas were few and far between.
    在这种经济环境下，新想法极为罕见。
18. I've made this argument, and not a few people would disagree with me
    我提出了此论点，而这会是相当多的人都不同意的。
19. I think a good few of the others were like me, a bit confused.
    我觉得其他人中不少都像我一样，有点迷惑不解。
20. A breathalyzer tells you you've a had a few too many.
    呼吸分析器显示你饮酒过量。
21. No fewer than thirteen foreign ministers attended the session.
    至少有13国外长出席了这届会议。
22. He can only hold out a few more weeks.
    他只能再坚持几周了。
23. I made a few phone calls
    我打了几个电话。
24. I had been in my new job only a few days
    我到新的工作岗位只有几天的时间。
25. She shelled and ate a few nuts.
    她剥了几个坚果吃了。
26. I have been moved to write a few lines of verse.
    我因感动而写下了几句诗。
27. A few books have been lost from the library.
    图书馆丢失了几本书。
28. I have a few, but not many.
    我有几个，可是不多。
29. I stayed there a few days longer.
    我在那里多住了几天。

adj.

few and far between

• 稀少；稀疏；不常发生
  not frequent; not happening often

pron.

quite a few

• 相当多；不少
  a fairly large number
  1. I've been there quite a few times.
     我去过那里好多次了。

have had a few

• 喝醉了；已醉
  to have had enough alcohol to make you drunk

noun

1. a small elite group
   1. it was designed for the discriminating few

adj

1. a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a'
   1. a few weeks ago
   2. a few more wagons than usual
   3. an invalid's pleasures are few and far between
   4. few roses were still blooming
   5. few women have led troops in battle