lessdeterminer, pronoun, adverb
uk/les/us/les/A2 a smaller amount (of), or to a smaller degree:
We must try to spend less money.
Exercise more and eat less.
I eat less chocolate and fewer biscuits than I used to.
Getting out of bed in summer is less difficult than in winter.
less than ...
used to say that behaviour does not have the good or attractive characteristic that is stated:
I think he was less than honest with me.
less and less
If something happens less and less, it becomes gradually smaller in amount or happens less often:
He's less and less able to look after himself.
More examples
- The buses run less frequently on Sundays.
- The survey reveals that two-thirds of married women earn less than their husbands.
- The students accomplished the task in less than ten minutes.
- Do you pay less tax if you're self-employed?
- If you eat three good meals a day, you're less likely to snack on biscuits and crisps.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Small in number and quantity
- beggarly
- below
- certain
- could count sth on (the fingers of) one hand idiom
- count
- drabs
- flicker
- little
- mingy
- minimal
- modest
- narrow
- negligible
- niggardly
- outside
- slender
- small
- some
- thinly
- under
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Yes, no & not
Becoming and making smaller or less
Idiom(s)
much/still less
no less
no less than
lesspreposition
uk/les/us/les/→ minus preposition :
The total is 30 dollars, less the five dollars deposit that you paid.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Addition, subtraction, multiplication & division
- add
- add (sth) up
- addition sign
- associative property
- borrow
- carry sth forward/over
- coefficient
- deduct
- distributive
- divide
- divisible
- divisor
- half
- long division
- minus
- multiplication table
- multiply
- power
- table
- times
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