Word
less
US/ˈɫɛs/
UK/lˈɛs/
Definitions
01smaller amount
A2 · Elementary
det. a smaller amount of something that you cannot count.
det. a smaller amount or quantity of an uncountable substance or abstract concept.
Español:menos
“I try to spend less money on coffee and save for my holiday.”
“The new engine design requires significantly less maintenance than the previous model, leading to lower long-term costs for the airline.”
Pitfall
I have less books than you.
I have fewer books than you.
In formal English, use 'less' for things you cannot count (like water or time) and 'fewer' for things you can count (like books or people).
Synonyms
Antonyms
02to a smaller degree
A2 · Elementary
adv. used to say that something is not as much as it was before or not as much as something else.
adv. to a smaller extent or degree; used as a comparative modifier for adjectives and other adverbs.
“This exercise is less difficult than the one we did yesterday.”
“The second half of the film was less engaging than the first, failing to maintain the tension established in the opening scenes.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03minus
B2 · Upper Intermediate Mathematics Formal
prep. minus or taking away a specific amount.
prep. minus; reduced by the subtraction of a specified amount or item.
“The total cost is fifty pounds, less a five-pound discount.”
“The final settlement amount will be the gross profit less any administrative expenses incurred during the fiscal year.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04a smaller quantity
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. a smaller amount of something.
n. a smaller amount, quantity, or portion of something previously mentioned.
“He expected a lot of help, but he received much less.”
“While some investors hoped for a significant return, they ultimately had to settle for much less due to the market downturn.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “less” in context.
Confusables
Fewer modifies plural countable nouns, while less modifies singular uncountable nouns.
RememberFewer is for things you count; less is for things you measure.
Etymology
Adverb From Middle English les, lesse, leasse, lasse, from Old English lǣs (“smaller, less”), from Proto-Germanic laisiz, from Proto-Indo-European leys- (“to shrink, grow thin, be gentle”). Cognate with Old Frisian lēs (“less”), Old Saxon lēs (“less”). According to Kroonen (2013), from a northern Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European leh₂is- or leh₃is-, which he connects to Lithuanian liesas (“lean”). Determiner and preposition from Middle English lees, lesse, leasse, lasse, from Old English lǣssa (“less”), from Proto-Germanic laisizan-, from Proto-Germanic laisiz (“smaller, lesser, fewer, lower”) (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian lessa (“less”). Verb from Middle English lessen, from the determiner. Noun from Middle English lesse, from the determiner.
From Middle English lesse, les, from Old English lǣs, as in þȳ lǣs þe.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/less
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0