far little

USAGE SUMMARY

"far little" is not a correct English expression.
To make the phrase meaningful you could say "far too little" or "not nearly enough." For example: "The government has done far too little to help the struggling economy."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

So far, little has happened.

The Economist

But so far, little tennis.

The New York Times

But so far, little has been done.

The New York Times

So far, little of this has worked.

The New York Times - Tech

So far, little else has.

The Washington Post

But so far little has been done.

The Guardian

However, so far little has emerged from this approach.

Drug Discovery Today

So far, little direct evidence or research supports these statements.

Clinical Biomechanics

So far, little of that has happened.

The New York Times

So far, little evidence is forthcoming.

The Guardian - Opinion

So far little has been done.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "far little" in formal writing. Instead, opt for grammatically correct alternatives like "very little", "far too little", or "not nearly enough".

Common error

A common error is using "far" to directly modify "little" without an intervening adjective like "too". Remember that "far" typically intensifies adjectives or adverbs, so it needs a word like "too" to create a grammatically sound phrase.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "far little" functions as a quantifier, attempting to express a small quantity or degree. However, according to Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically incorrect. Standard English typically uses "far too little" or "very little" to convey this meaning.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

54%

Science

46%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "far little" appears in a variety of sources, including news and scientific publications, it is considered grammatically incorrect by Ludwig AI. Standard English alternatives such as "far too little" or "very little" are recommended for clarity and accuracy, particularly in formal writing. The intent behind "far little" is generally to express insufficiency or scarcity, and that idea is better conveyed using more conventional phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

very little

Emphasizes the small quantity or degree of something.

too little

Highlights that the amount is insufficient for a particular purpose.

not much

Offers a more informal way to express a small quantity.

scarcely any

Implies that there is barely enough of something, if at all.

hardly any

Similar to "scarcely any", emphasizing the lack of quantity.

a small amount

Specifies that the quantity is limited.

a limited quantity

Focuses on the restricted nature of the available amount.

meager amount

Highlights that the amount is deficient or poor in quality.

insufficient quantity

Directly states that the amount is not adequate.

a paucity of

Indicates a severe lack or scarcity of something (more formal).

FAQs

Is "far little" grammatically correct?

No, "far little" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. A more appropriate phrasing would be "far too little" or "very little".

What does "far little" mean, and what are some alternatives?

While not standard, "far little" is often used to convey the idea that something is insufficient or inadequate. Alternatives include "not nearly enough", "a small amount", or "scarcely any".

How can I use "very little" instead of "far little" in a sentence?

Instead of saying "There was far little progress", you could say "There was "very little progress"". "Very little" is a grammatically sound way to express a lack of progress.

What's the difference between "far too little" and "far little"?

"Far too little" is grammatically correct and emphasizes that something is significantly insufficient. "Far little", while sometimes used, is not standard English. It's best to use "far too little" to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy.