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Synonyms

a few

Idioms  

  1. A small number of persons or things. This phrase can differ slightly from few used alone, which means “not many.” For example, The party was to end at eight, but a few stayed on indicates that a small number of guests remained, whereas The party began at eight, and few attended means that hardly any guests came. [Late 1200s] Also see quite a bit (few).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Taken with the image, Gyllenhaal checked out the movie and was surprised to discover Lancaster’s iconic character was only in it for a few minutes.

From Los Angeles Times

Those are just a few reasons that people question the BBC’s insistence that this was a simple mistake.

From Salon

There was no act of escapology against Hibernian last week - and with a few minutes to go, you struggled to see one coming here.

From BBC

Patients can also request the gas—which leaves a person’s system after a few minutes—for gynecological exams and certain abortions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Before booking we read reviews carefully and often message the host with a few questions, which gives us a sense of host reliability and accountability.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.