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less Definition

less (les)

adjective

  1. little
  2. not so much; smaller in size or amount to drink less milk, take less time
  3. fewer in less than 25 words

Etymology: ME les < OE læs, adv. læssa, adj. (used as compar. of lytel, little), akin to OFris les < IE *leis- < base *lei-, to diminish, meager, > little

adverb

  1. little
  2. to a smaller extent less likely to succeed

noun

a smaller amount

with the deduction of; minus about $5,000, less taxes; thirty less ten is twenty

Usage Note although the use of less instead of fewer with plural nouns is very old, it is objected to by some, esp. immediately preceding a plural noun [less coins in his pocket]

less Idioms

less and less

to a decreasing degree; decreasingly

much less

or still less

to an even smaller degree or extent she won't even talk to him, much less work with him

no less a person than

a person of no lower importance, rank, etc. than

less Synonyms

less

modif.

smaller, lower, not so much as, not as much, lesser, minor, fewer, reduced, declined, not as great, not so significant, in decline, depressed, inferior, secondary, subordinate, beneath, minus, deficient, diminished, shortened, circumscribed, limited; see also shorter.

Antonyms more*, more than, longer.

less Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • no: Back in the 18th century, Cadiz had no less than 160 towers to watch over its harbors.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • expect: I wouldn't expect anything less than a full refund, and a real effort to find a replacement photographer.

Modifies a noun

  • hassle: Plus, it is much less hassle, " he says.
  • chance: When share prices tumble they have less chance of bagging the values they want from the City.
  • attention: The Empress Josephine, for instance, planted a collection of roses when Napoleon began paying her less attention.
  • money: Which means those of you missing some of these great albums can fill the obvious hole in your record collection for less money.
  • energy: Below are our top tips to help you to use less energy in your home.
  • time: There was much less time or opportunity available to discuss such matters with students.

Used with adjective complement

  • earn: The average pay for support staff is around £ 13,000 per year but 20 % earn less than £ 10,000.
  • pay: This new transparency revealed that women were being illegally paid less than men.
  • cost: Fuel cost less than £ 150 for the whole journey.
  • eat: Top 10 easy ways to cut calories There are two ways to lose weight burn more calories or eat less of them.
  • suffer: Again, this is probably owing to your relaxed mind suffering less from the intrusive thoughts of a fully conscious mind.
  • contain: Remember, a pile containing less than 16 cubes represents an underweight loaf.

Preposition: than

  • %: The overall cure rate for advanced mouth cancer is less than 50 %.
  • minute: The Railroad Station is less than 10 minutes walk to the College.
  • mile: He gets smaller and smaller and finally disappears from sight, all in less than 22 miles!
  • hour: I had less than 24 hours to learn the songs.
  • month: This café has grown from nothing to a busy site in less than 12 months.
  • meter: I first saw the fin flopping from side to side in about one meter of water less than 4 meters from the shore.
less Quotes

If we domore with less, ourresponsewill be adequateto take care of everybody.

—Fuller, R(ichard) Buckminster

As I know more of mankind I expect less ofthem, and am ready now to call a man a good man, upon easier terms than I was formerly.

—Johnson, Samuel known as Dr Johnson

It is the tragedy of the world that no one knows what he doesn't know; and the less a man knows, the more sure he is that he knows everything.

—Cary, (Arthur) Joyce Lunel

There is less in this than meets the eye.

—Bankhead,Tallulah

   Some people say that less is more. But I think more is more.

—Parton, Dolly

The uniform 'e wore Was nothin'much before, An'rather less than 'arf o'that be'ind.

—Kipling, (Joseph) Rudyard

Cats, no less liquid than their shadows, Offer no angles to the wind. They slip, diminished, neat, through loopholes Less than themselves.

—Tessimond, A(rthur) S(eymour) J(ohn)

Not a Penny More,Not a Penny Less.

—Archer,Jeffrey Howard, Lord

The less seen, the more heard. The eye is the enemy of the ear in real drama.

—Wilder,Thornton Niven

'Take some more tea,'the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly. 'I've had nothing yet,'Alice replied in an offended tone, 'so I can't take more.' 'You mean you can't take less,'said the Hatter: 'It's very easy to take more than nothing.'

—Dodgson

Browse dictionary entries near less

  1. ‹ lespedeza
  2. ‹ Lesotho
  3. ‹ Leslie
  4. ‹ lesion
  5. ‹ Lesbos
  6. ‹ lesbo
  7. ‹ lesbian
  8. ‹ Lesage
  9. ‹ les
  10. ‹ Leroy
  1. less and less ›
  2. less-developed countries ›
  3. -less ›
  4. lessee ›
  5. lessen ›
  6. lessening ›
  7. Lesseps ›
  8. lesser ›
  9. Lesser Antilles ›
  10. lesser celandine ›