few times

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "few times" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate the occurrence of an action or event on multiple occasions. For example, "I have seen that movie a few times."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A few times.

The New York Times - Sports

He sighed a few times.

The New York Times - Sports

I rehearsed a few times.

The New York Times

I try a few times.

The New York Times - Food

I went a few times.

The Guardian

Try it a few times.

The New Yorker

A few times, yeah.

The Guardian

Quite a few times.

The Guardian - Travel

"I blew up a few times.

The Guardian

Father Mecca visited him a few times.

The New York Times

Nonrenewed a few times, fired never".

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "few times" to indicate a small number of occurrences where the exact count is not important or known. It is more appropriate than "several times" when the number of occurrences is truly limited.

Common error

While "few times" is acceptable in most contexts, consider using more formal alternatives like "on several occasions" or "repeatedly" in academic papers or business reports.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "few times" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb to indicate the frequency of an action. It specifies that something occurred on a small number of occasions. Ludwig confirms its proper usage.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Wiki

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "few times" is a common and grammatically sound way to indicate that an action or event has occurred on multiple, but not numerous, occasions. As Ludwig confirms, it's generally acceptable across various contexts, although more formal alternatives may be preferred in academic or professional writing. The phrase appears most frequently in news and media sources as well as WikiHow articles.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a couple of times

Refers to a slightly smaller number of occurrences, implying just two instances.

on several occasions

More formal and emphasizes the distinctness of each occurrence.

a number of times

Implies a slightly larger, but still indefinite, number of occurrences.

more than once

Simply indicates that something happened at least twice.

repeatedly

Emphasizes the iterative nature of the action.

from time to time

Suggests that the events happen occasionally and not at regular intervals.

on a few instances

More formal alternative, emphasizing the individual events.

several instances

Emphasizes there are multiple discrete occurrences.

a handful of times

Implies a small number of occurrences that can be counted easily.

at various times

Focuses on the variety of different moments when something happened.

FAQs

How can I use "few times" in a sentence?

You can use "few times" to indicate that something has occurred on a small number of occasions. For example, "I've been to Italy a "few times"." or "He called a "few times" to check on the package delivery."

What is a more formal alternative to "few times"?

If you need a more formal phrase, consider using "on several occasions" or "a number of times". These alternatives are suitable for academic and professional writing.

Is there a difference between "few times" and "several times"?

"Few times" suggests a smaller number of occurrences compared to "several times". Use "few times" when the number of occurrences is truly limited. Use "several times" to express the idea of some times.

What does "few times" mean?

"Few times" means that something has happened on multiple occasions, but not very often. It implies a small, indefinite number of occurrences.