# let alone

idiom · CEFR C1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/let-alone
Updated: 2026-04-22

## Meaning

you use this to say that if a simple thing is impossible, then a more difficult thing is definitely impossible.

## Examples

- I cannot walk, let alone run a marathon.
- He does not have enough money for a coffee, let alone a new car.
- The exhausted traveler could barely stand, let alone continue the long journey through the mountains.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.