少ない・尠い・寡い|すくないsukunai[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. i-adjectivefew; little; small (amount); low; scarce; insufficient; seldom; rare
   この病気びょうきに勝かてる人ひとは少すくない。↗

   Not many survive this disease.

• SynonymわずかNeutralStresses that the amount is mere — only a little; also works as an adverb, as in 「わずか三人」. 「少ない」 is the plain, general word for few.
• Synonym些少さしょうWrittenWritten Sino-Japanese word for a trifling, insignificant amount; common in the humble expression 「些少ですが」.
• Synonym微少びしょうWrittenWritten word for an extremely small quantity, small enough to be almost negligible.
• Synonym軽少けいしょうWrittenWritten word for something slight in degree — a minor loss or problem, not a small number; rarely used.
• Synonym僅少きんしょうWrittenWritten word for a very small quantity, as in 「僅少差」 (a narrow margin); typical of news reports and official documents.
• Related微小びしょうWrittenDescribes something extremely tiny — sizes, differences, changes, as in 「微小な差」. 「少ない」 is about quantity, so the two are not interchangeable.
• Related微細びさいWrittenWritten word for something extremely fine or minute; concerns size or fine detail, not quantity.
• Related極小きょくしょうWrittenWritten word for extremely small; also used in the math term 「極小値」 (local minimum). About size, not quantity.
• Related鮮少せんしょうWrittenObscure written word for very few; you will almost never hear it in daily conversation.
• Related小っぽけちっぽけCasualColloquial word for something small and insignificant-looking; it is about size, not quantity.
• RelatedちっちゃいCasualColloquial form of 「小さい」; describes small size, not small quantity.
• RelatedちっこいCasualA slangy way of saying 「小さい」; about size, not quantity.
• Related極微きょくびWrittenTechnical written word for something infinitesimally small; concerns size, not quantity.
• Related細微さいびWrittenWritten word for something minute and slight; can also describe lowly status. About size or degree, not quantity.
• Relatedごく小さいごくちいさいNeutralA phrase meaning very small; about size, not quantity.
• Antonym多いおおいNeutralThe direct antonym: many in number or frequent in occurrence.
• Antonym豊かゆたかNeutralOpposite to 「少ない」 in the sense of an ample supply; also means rich and abundant, usually with a positive ring.

「少ない」 is the default for a small number or amount. Use 「わずか」 to stress that it is mere or only just, and 「僅少」 in reports or official writing. The size words — 「小っぽけ」, 「小っちゃい」, 「小っこい」, 「微小」, 「微細」, 「極小」, 「極微」, 「細微」, 「ごく小さい」 — describe how small something is, not how few, so they cannot replace 「少ない」. 「些少」, 「微少」 and 「鮮少」 are written words for tiny amounts; 「軽少」 means slight in degree. Antonyms: 「多い」 (many, frequent) and 「豊か」 (ample, positive).

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. あるものに比較ひかくして、数量すうりょうや割合わりあいが小ちいさい。