less

A smaller amount or quantity.

Adjective

  1. Lesser; smaller.
    • Such too, to a greater or less extent, is the condition of the operatives of every denomination in England, which is the great workhouse of the world. - 1854 August 9, Henry D[avid] Thoreau, “Economy”, in Walden; or,...
    • This he said, thinking that Alan would be pleased; but the Highlandman’s vanity was ready to startle at a less matter than that. - 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped:

Origin

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.

Adverb

  1. comparative degree of little
    • I slept even less last night than I did the night before.
    • I like him less each time I see him.
    • All my cares grew less until completely gone.
  2. Used for constructing syntactic diminutive comparatives of adjectives and adverbs.
    • Randal is less welcome than Rachel but as her spouse we should invite them both.
    • This gadget is less useful than I expected.
    • I'm not any less happy for being on my own.
  3. To a smaller extent or degree.
    • The grammar book was less than (that is, not at all) helpful.
    • That this is a positive one makes it no less a stereotype, and therefore unacceptable.

Antonyms

more

Conjunction

  1. unless
    • To tell you true, 'tis too good for you, 'less you had grace to follow it - 1614 November 10 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Beniamin Iohnson [i.e., Ben Jonson], Bartholmew Fayre: A Comedie, […], London: […]...

Origin

From Middle English lesse, les, from Old English lǣs, as in þȳ lǣs þe.

Determiner

  1. comparative form of little: more little; of inferior size, degree or extent; smaller, lesser.
    • Those Rattels are somewhat like the chape of a Rapier, but lesse, which they take from the taile of a snake. - 1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, Kupperman, published 1988, page 141:
    • We are likewise ready to maintain with the hazard of all that is near and dear to us, that six is less than seven in all times and all places […]. - 1711, The Spectator, number 126:
    • It is also easy to see that the straight line, representing the locus of centres of buoyancy for a rectangular section, must lie at a less inclination to the base (i.e., to the horizontal) than a line representing the...

    Antonyms: greater

  2. A smaller amount of; not as much.
    • No less than eight pints of beer.
    • I have less tea than coffee.
    • You have even less sense than an inanimate object.
  3. Fewer; a smaller number of.
    • There are less people here now.
    • Now there are three less green bottles hanging on the wall.
    • The express checkout lane is for those with ten items or less.

Antonyms

more

Related

fewer lesser

Noun

  1. A smaller amount or quantity.
    • Less is better.
    • I have less to do today than yesterday.

Preposition

  1. Minus; not including
    • It should then tax all of that as personal income, less the proportion of the car's annual mileage demonstrably clocked up on company business.

Antonyms

plus

Verb archaic

  1. To make less; to lessen.
    • 1386-90, Gower, Confessio Amantis What he will make lesse, he lesseth.
    • c. 1650, Patrick Gordon of Ruthven, A short Abridgement of Britane's Distemper, from the yeares of God 1639 to 1649, printed 1844 for the Spalding Club Som of the wiser sort, divining upon this vission, attrebute to the...
    • The protracted term of life, and the lingering illness through which this gentleman had passed, had neither impaired the original vigour of his mind, nor lessed the uncommon warmth of his affections. - 1816, "Joseph...

Forms

lesses lessing lessed

Derived

all the less could care less could not care less couldn't care less deuce less in less than no time less and less less is a bore less is more less-lethal lessness less so less than less than no time less-than-stellar less than stellar less than three less than truckload more or less much less natheless ne'ertheless nevertheless no less

Verb alt of, alternative

  1. Alternative form of let's.