Few means a small number of something, but more than zero or one. When you have few cookies left, you might have two or three, not a whole plate. When a teacher says few students understood the problem, she means a small group did, maybe five or six out of thirty.

The word carries a feeling of scarcity or limitation. If your basketball team has won few games this season, that's disappointing: you've won some, but not many. If you have few friends who enjoy chess, you might feel a bit lonely in your interest, even though you do have some companions who share it.

Few can also suggest something valuable. “One of the few people who remembered my birthday” emphasizes how special those people are precisely because there weren't many. When someone says “the select few” or “the lucky few,” they're highlighting how rare or exclusive something is.

Be careful with a few versus few. Saying “I have a few friends coming over” sounds positive: some friends are coming. Saying “I have few friends” sounds sadder: not many people are your friends. That tiny word a completely changes the feeling from hopeful to somewhat negative, even though both phrases describe a small number.