Less

/lɛs/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

Smaller in size, amount, or degree.

He had less work to do on the weekend.

Of inferior quality or importance.

This edition of the book is less valuable than the first.

adverb

To a smaller extent or degree; not as much.

She is less interested in sports than her brother.

Not at all; to a lesser degree of quality.

He is less capable of handling stress than she is.

Used in comparisons to indicate a smaller amount.

We have less time to complete the project than we thought.

preposition

Used to indicate a smaller amount after the word 'than'.

I have less than five dollars in my wallet.

Old English 'læs', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch 'minder' and German 'weniger'.

less is more

Used to express that simplicity often leads to better results.

less than

Not as much or not equal to.

no less

Not any less; in fact, possibly more.

fewer

A smaller number of; used with countable nouns.

least

The smallest amount or degree.

lessen

To make or become less.

To diminish or decrease.

I need to less my workload.

To tone down or reduce something.

Let's less the music a bit.