fewer

adjhardly any

Antonyms for fewer

Word Origin & History

Old English feawe (plural; contracted to fea) "few, seldom, even a little," from Proto-Germanic *faw-, from PIE root *pau- (1) "few, little" (cf. Latin paucus "few, little," paullus "little," parvus "little, small," pauper "poor;" Greek pauros "few, little," pais (genitive paidos) "child;" Latin puer "child, boy," pullus "young animal;" Oscan puklu "child;" Sanskrit potah "a young animal," putrah "son;" Old English fola "young horse;" Old Norse fylja "young female horse;" Old Church Slavonic puta "bird;" Lithuanian putytis "young animal, young bird"). Always plural in Old English.

Phrase few and far between attested from 1660s. Unusual ironic use in quite a few "many" (1883), earlier a good few (1828). The noun is late 12c., fewe, from the adjective.

Example Sentences for fewer

No fewer than 12,000 persons had perished in the sandjak of Philippopolis!

The fewer the marriageable girls, the higher their market value.

There could not be fewer than five hundred people, and they were dancing like five thousand demons.

To this effect, in as few or fewer words, the Public Prosecutor.

And the greater the success, the fewer are the signs of the labour expended.

His industry may be inferred from the number of his engravings and etchings, of which he left not fewer than 1600.

And again, if you consider the world, by how few understood, and praised by fewer!

Carlyle's theory of "Hero Worship" has fewer adherents than for half a century.

We had fewer specialists, and our equipment was probably inferior.

The fewer patients he had, the more time he could devote to his favourite sciences.

fewer

Synonyms for fewer

Antonyms for fewer

More words related to fewer

less