Advertisement
Advertisement
less
1[ les ]
adverb
- to a smaller extent, amount, or degree:
less exact.
- most certainly not (often preceded by much or still ):
He could barely pay for his own lodging, much less for that of his friend.
- in any way different; other:
He is nothing less than a thief.
adjective
- smaller in size, amount, degree, etc.; not so large, great, or much:
less money; less speed.
- lower in consideration, rank, or importance:
no less a person than the manager.
less than a dozen.
noun
- a smaller amount or quantity:
Hundreds of soldiers arrived, but less of them remained.
- something inferior or not as important:
He was tortured for less.
-less
2- an adjective suffix meaning 鈥渨ithout鈥 ( childless; peerless ), and in adjectives derived from verbs, indicating failure or inability to perform or be performed ( resistless; tireless ).
-less
1suffix forming adjectives
- without; lacking
speechless
- not able to (do something) or not able to be (done, performed, etc)
countless
less
2/ 濒蓻蝉 /
determiner
- the comparative of little
less spirit than before
less sugar
- ( as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural )
she has less than she needs
the less you eat, the less you want
- usually preceded by no lower in rank or importance
St James the Less
no less a man than the president
- no less informal.used to indicate surprise or admiration, often sarcastic, at the preceding statement
she says she's been to Italy, no less
- less ofto a smaller extent or degree
we see less of John these days
less of a success than I'd hoped
adverb
- the comparative of little (sense 1)
less beautiful
she walks less than she should
less quickly
- much less or still lessused to reinforce a negative
we don't like it, still less enjoy it
- think less ofto have a lower opinion of
preposition
- subtracting; minus
three weeks less a day
Usage
Confusables Note
亚洲网紅露点 History and Origins
亚洲网紅露点 History and Origins
Origin of less1
Origin of less2
Idioms and Phrases
- less than, by far short of being; not in the least; hardly at all:
The job is less than perfect.
More idioms and phrases containing less
In addition to the idiom beginning with less , also see couldn't care less ; in (less than) no time ; more or less ; much less .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
"Once they were freed it felt less urgent for judges to bring this to trial," Tourancheau said.
Generally, it's challenging to get that with salmon without intensely high heat and lots of oil 鈥 but alas, the air fryer does all that and then some in 15 minutes or less.
For example, a new poll from Gallup shows that the American people feel that the economy is heading in the wrong direction and are less hopeful about the future.
Among his plans are an "all-in-Canada" network for vehicle parts, under which more manufacturing will happen domestically - meaning less reliance on imports from the US.
Also, per Young, builds can be modified with less red tape.
Advertisement
More About Less
What is a basic definition of聽less?
Less refers to a comparatively smaller amount, quantity, or degree and can be used in this sense as an adverb, adjective, or noun.聽Less has several other senses as an adverb, adjective, noun, and a preposition.
Less is a comparative form of the word little, with the word least being the superlative. If something is described as less, it is 鈥渕ore little鈥 than something else. Specifically, less by itself often means a smaller number or amount rather than physical size.
Less can be used in this sense as an adverb, adjective, or a noun. Because less is a comparative, it must be used to compare two or more things to make sense. For example, 鈥淭his house is less鈥 makes no sense by itself. You might wonder. 鈥Less what?鈥 When we include the item we are comparing the house to, you can understand what we mean: That house is really expensive, but this house costs less.聽
- Real-life examples: Used cars often cost less than new ones. You will earn less money in your first job than in your last job. You might start out with a lot of questions, but as you learn you may have less.
- Used in a sentence: I really need to start eating less.
We want to make sure nobody gets less food than anyone else.
When it comes to using pink paint, less is more.聽
The word less is often confused with the word fewer. For the most part, you can use the words less and fewer as synonyms when comparing amounts of things.
However, less can compare abstract, uncountable qualities, while fewer cannot. For example, one dog can be said to be less playful than another, but it cannot be said to be 鈥渇ewer playful鈥 than another.
Where does聽less come from?
The first records of less come from before 900. It ultimately comes from the Old English adverb 濒牵蝉 and adjective 濒牵蝉sa. It is related to the Old Frisian adverb 濒锚蝉 and adjective 濒锚蝉sa.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to less?
- lesser (adverb and adjective)
What are some synonyms for less?
What are some words that share a root or word element with less?听
What are some words that often get used in discussing less?
What are some words less may be commonly confused with?
How is聽less used in real life?
Less is an incredibly common word that is most often used to describe something having a smaller or lower degree, amount, or quantity.
I really need to get hobbies that cost less money鈥
鈥 Ashlee Spring (@summerannspring)
I haven't been less excited for a Super Bowl since鈥..ever. Is this typical for fans of the team that fall one game short?
鈥 The CoolTechDad (@TheCoolTechDad)
You'll be seeing less of me on Twitter when the temperature finally breaks 50 degrees, which I believe will now happen in mid-July.
鈥 Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom)
Try using聽less!
True or False?
A chair that costs $30 is less expensive than one that costs $20.
Definitions and idiom definitions from 亚洲网紅露点 Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 漏 Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage庐 Idioms Dictionary copyright 漏 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse