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Few vs. Phew — What's the Difference?

Few vs. Phew — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Few and Phew

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Compare with Definitions

Few

Amounting to or consisting of a small number
One of my few bad habits. See Usage Note at less.

Phew

Expressing a strong reaction of relief, or of disgust at a smell
Phew, what a year!

Few

Being more than one but indefinitely small in number
Bowled a few strings.

Phew

Used to express relief, fatigue, surprise, or disgust.

Few

An indefinitely small number of persons or things
A few of the books have torn jackets.
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Phew

Used to express relief of tension, fatigue, or surprise.
Phew, that took a long time to cook!

Few

An exclusive or limited number
The discerning few.
The fortunate few.

Phew

Used to show disgust.
Phew, it stinks in here!

Few

(preceded by another determiner) An indefinite, but usually small, number of.
There are a few cars (=some, but a relatively small number) in the street.
Quite a few people (=a significant number) were pleasantly surprised.
I think he's had a few drinks. [This usage is likely ironic.]

Few

(used alone) Not many; a small (in comparison with another number stated or implied) but somewhat indefinite number of.
There are very few people who understand quantum theory.
I was expecting a big crowd at the party, but very few people (=almost none) turned up.

Few

Obscuring one to two oktas (eighths) of the sky.
Tonight: A few clouds. Increasing cloudiness overnight.
NOAA definition of the term "few clouds": An official sky cover classification for aviation weather observations, descriptive of a sky cover of 1/8 to 2/8. This is applied only when obscuring phenomena aloft are present--that is, not when obscuring phenomena are surface-based, such as fog.

Few

(US?) Having a 10 percent chance of measurable precipitation (0.01 inch); used interchangeably with isolated.

Few

Few people, few things.
Many are called, but few are chosen.

Few

Not many; small, limited, or confined in number; - indicating a small portion of units or individuals constituting a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a few people.
Few know and fewer care.

Few

An indefinite but relatively small number;
They bought a case of beer and drank a few

Few

A small elite group;
It was designed for the discriminating few

Few

A quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a'; a small but indefinite number;
A few weeks ago
A few more wagons than usual
An invalid's pleasures are few and far between
Few roses were still blooming
Few women have led troops in battle

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