Meaning & use
far and few
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Not common and appearing only at long intervals; rare and widely spaced.
Grammar: Used after a linking verb such as be, seem, or become, and normally in the fuller form few and far between.
Patterns
- something is few and far between
- something becomes few and far between
- something seems few and far between
Cheap apartments in the city center are few and far between these days.
Good job openings in her field have been few and far between since the spring.
In this desert, rain showers are few and far between.
phrasefixed phraseliterary
Existing in small numbers and scattered over a wide area.
Grammar: Describes things spread out in space; usually follows a plural noun and a linking verb.
Patterns
- something is few and far between
- something lies few and far between
The farmhouses on the moor are few and far between, with miles of empty land between them.
Villages along that stretch of coast are few and far between.
Common combinations
- be few and far between
- Honest reviews of the product are few and far between.
- become few and far between
- As the town grew, quiet corners became few and far between.
- grow few and far between
- Their visits grew few and far between after the move.
- few and far between these days
- Real bargains like that are few and far between these days.
- chances are few and far between
- Chances to travel for work are few and far between in this job.
Synonyms and how they differ
- rare
- Rare simply means not happening often; few and far between adds the idea that the few examples are also spread out, so it sounds more vivid.
- scarce
- Scarce is used mainly for things you need, such as food or water, and suggests a shortage; few and far between is broader and often describes events or opportunities.
- sporadic
- Sporadic describes something that happens now and then without a regular pattern; few and far between stresses that it happens very seldom.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: far and few or few and far between?
far and few vs few and far between
This is the usual, complete form of the phrase. "Far and few" is a shortened variant that some speakers use, but "few and far between" is far more standard and safer in writing.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase correctly?
Choose one answer.
The phrase works as a unit after a linking verb such as "are" and cannot be placed directly before a noun or followed by "of." Option 1 is the only one with the correct pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “far and few”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.