2few pronoun
1 : not many people or things
▪ (Very) Few came. ▪ His stories may be entertaining, but few (if any) are true. = They may be entertaining, but few (if any) of his stories are true. ▪ There are many students in the class, but I know very few (of them). ▪ “Never…was so much owed by so many to so few.” — Sir Winston Churchill, Speech (August, 1940) 2 : some people or things — used in the phrase a few ▪ A few came. ▪ I bought several magazines and I read a few (of them). ▪ Unfortunately, a few of the people who came failed to enjoy themselves. ▪ We gave away most of the photographs but we kept a few (of them). ▪ They sold a few of the books. ▪ She met a few of my relatives. ◊The phrases quite a few and, less commonly, not a few or (chiefly Brit) a good few all mean “fairly many.”
▪ Not all our students go on to college, but quite a few (of them) do. [=a large number of our students do] 3 : a small number of people or things that are chosen or regarded as special or unusual in some way
▪ A select few will receive advance tickets. ▪ A sophisticated movie like this only appeals to the discriminating few.
▪ (Very) Few came. ▪ His stories may be entertaining, but few (if any) are true. = They may be entertaining, but few (if any) of his stories are true. ▪ There are many students in the class, but I know very few (of them). ▪ “Never…was so much owed by so many to so few.” — Sir Winston Churchill, Speech (August, 1940)
▪ Not all our students go on to college, but quite a few (of them) do. [=a large number of our students do]
▪ A select few will receive advance tickets. ▪ A sophisticated movie like this only appeals to the discriminating few.
have a few or have a few too many
informal : to have too many alcoholic drinks
▪ We could tell from his slurred speech that he'd had a few. ▪ It looks like she had a few too many.
▪ We could tell from his slurred speech that he'd had a few. ▪ It looks like she had a few too many.
