fewer appealing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "fewer appealing" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "less appealing," as "fewer" is used for countable nouns, while "less" is used for uncountable nouns. Example: "The new design is less appealing than the previous one."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Perhaps the premium has disappeared because foreigners now have fewer appealing choices, too.

The Economist

Talent is drifting to pay-television, in part because there are fewer appealing roles in film.

The Economist

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

That leaves the Liberal Democrats, who have ruled almost without interruption since 1955, with few appealing choices to replace Mr. Mori.

The New York Times

With few appealing choices in the minors and no rotation help through a trade, Manager Joe Girardi said Mitre would get another start.

The New York Times - Sports

But with deadlock over the judges looming, Mr Zardari has few appealing options.

The Economist

A midday buffet offers quite a few appealing selections that are not on the regular menu.

The New York Times

WINE LIST International, with a French emphasis and too few appealing selections under $60 a bottle.

The New York Times - Food

There are only a few appealing employers to choose from, and only one realistic chance to join them.

The Economist

Bastardo, with more service time than DeFratus, switched to No. 37, leaving DeFratus with few appealing options.

The New York Times - Sports

SAN FRANCISCO — Now that a judge has curtailed Google's ambitions to create a giant digital bookstore and library, the company is left with few appealing options.

The New York Times

One of the Democrats' most effective talking points has lost its potency, leaving them with few appealing subjects to discuss on the campaign trail.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing qualities that are not countable, prefer "less appealing" over "fewer appealing". "Fewer" is for countable nouns; "less" is for uncountable.

Common error

Don't use "fewer" with uncountable nouns. Instead of saying "fewer appealing options", use "less appealing options".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fewer appealing" functions as an adjective phrase intended to modify a noun, indicating a reduced level of attractiveness or desirability. However, Ludwig AI signals that its usage is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

30%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "fewer appealing" aims to describe something as being less attractive or desirable. However, according to Ludwig AI, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct alternative is "less appealing", as "fewer" is used for countable nouns while "less" is for uncountable ones. While examples of "fewer appealing" exist in news, science, and business contexts, using the grammatically correct "less appealing" or alternatives like "not as attractive" is recommended for clear and accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

less appealing

Uses "less" instead of "fewer", which is grammatically correct for non-countable nouns.

less attractive

Synonymous replacement, maintaining a comparable sentiment.

not as attractive

Replaces "appealing" with "attractive" while maintaining a similar meaning.

less desirable

Substitutes "appealing" with "desirable" to indicate reduced desirability.

not especially attractive

Emphasizes that something lacks significant attractiveness.

not so attractive

Similar to "not as attractive" but emphasizes the reduction in attractiveness.

less inviting

Indicates that something is not as tempting or welcoming.

not particularly enticing

Replaces "appealing" with "enticing" to suggest a lack of allure.

not very interesting

Shifts focus to a lack of interest rather than appeal.

fewer attractive

Maintains similar words order. Is less correct than 'less attractive'.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "fewer appealing"?

No, it's generally considered incorrect. "Fewer" is used for countable nouns, while "less" is used for uncountable nouns. The correct phrase would be "less appealing".

What's the difference between "fewer appealing" and "less appealing"?

"Fewer appealing" is grammatically incorrect because "appealing" describes a quality that isn't countable. The correct phrase is "less appealing", using "less" to modify the adjective.

How can I use "less appealing" in a sentence?

You can say, "The updated design is less appealing than the original" or "After the changes, the offer became less appealing to investors."

Are there other alternatives to saying "fewer appealing"?

Yes, you can use phrases like "not as attractive", "less desirable", or "not so interesting" depending on the specific context.