thanthan /ðən; strong ðæn/ ●●● S1 W1 conjunction, preposition 
Natalie was prettier than her sister. You need that money more than I do. There were more people there than I expected. If it costs more than $60, I won’t buy it. She had woken even earlier than usual. Divorce is more common than it was a generation ago.2other than except for a particular person or thing: We never go to church other than for funerals and weddings. We know he lived in Fleet Road, but other than that we don’t know much about him.3would rather/would sooner ... than used to say that you prefer one thing to another: I’d rather drive than go by train. She said she’d rather die than live in the city.4no sooner/hardly had ... than used to say that one thing happens immediately after another thing: No sooner had I got into the house than the phone rang. Hardly had they reached Edinburgh than they were ordered to return to London.
WORD ORIGINthan
Origin:
Old English thanne, thænneEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- It's a nice car, but it costs more than we want to pay.
- You carry it - you're stronger than I am.
Longman Language Activatorwhen one thing is being compared with another
· The British are good drivers compared to those in the rest of the EU.· Statistics show that there has been a 20% reduction in burglary compared with last year.· Women visit their doctors six times a year compared to the three or so visits that men make.
as shown when compared with another situation, idea, person etc: · My car is so slow that it makes a bicycle look fast in comparison.in comparison/by comparison with: · We employ far fewer staff in comparison with similar-sized companies.pale in/by comparison (=to look worse or much less important in comparison): · Forecasters say this year's drought could make that of 1991 pale by comparison.· The Yankees' problems pale by comparison with those of the Dodgers.
use this to talk about the difference between the things, situations, people etc that you are comparing: · I read a lot as a child, but my daughter, by contrast, just seems interested in television.in contrast to: · In contrast to the hot days, the nights are bitterly cold.
use this to say that something seems more or less impressive, important etc when compared to something else: · Tom's efforts seemed so weak beside Martin's.· Delhi is so old that many European cities actually look young beside it.
use this when you are comparing two pieces of information, facts, etc in order to show how they are different: · Last year there were 443 industrial accidents as against 257 in 1985.· With only 57 inhabitants per square mile, as against a world average of over 70, the country is far from overcrowded.
use this to say that something does not seem correct, suitable, impressive etc compared with the things that surround it: · Ricky's head is small in proportion to the rest of his body.· I've always thought that my problems were very minor in proportion to those of many other people.
having a particular quality when compared with something else: · Kim lived a life of relative ease and privilege.relative strength/weakness: · the relative strength of the dollar against the Mexican pesorelative advantages (and disadvantages): · She was terrified of flying. The relative advantages of air travel didn't tempt her at all.relative merits (=what is good about them compared with each other): · The two men stood at the bar discussing the relative merits of various sports cars.it is all relative (=it can not be judged on its own, but must be compared with others): · It's all relative, isn't it? Someone who is poor in this country might be considered well off in another.
: comparative happiness/comfort/safety etc happiness, comfort, safety etc that is fairly satisfactory when compared to another: · After a lifetime of poverty, his last few years were spent in comparative comfort.· Fresh fruit and vegetables have become a comparative rarity in the region.· During the bombings, families sheltered in the comparative safety of the underground rail stations.
: more/less/bigger etc than · Geographically, Canada is bigger than the US.· My sister earns a lot more than I do.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The lunchtime menu is more than adequate to satisfy the biggest appetite. It may be less useful than it first appears. The thief got more than he bargained for, as Mr Cox tripped him up with his walking stick. She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach. I’ve experienced more reorganizations than I care to remember (=a lot of them). Dr Belson had been more than content for them to deal with any difficulties. You’ve had more than enough time to make all the preparations. We’ve been more fortunate than a lot of farmers. A degree is more of a hindrance than a help in British industry. Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes. a distance of less than 100 metres The message came from no less a person than the prime minister. His voice was little more than a whisper. The good days more than make up for the bad ones. Our plane took off more than two hours late. More than a quarter of the students never finished their courses. The journey took longer than normal. You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened). It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.
The lunchtime menu is more than adequate to satisfy the biggest appetite. It may be less useful than it first appears. The thief got more than he bargained for, as Mr Cox tripped him up with his walking stick.· He sometimes felt the grief was more than he could bear.
She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach. (=it is too difficult to be worth doing)
I’ve experienced more reorganizations than I care to remember (=a lot of them). (=there is some other explanation)· When I saw him a third time, I realized it was more than just coincidence.
Dr Belson had been more than content for them to deal with any difficulties. British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it)
(=very badly hurt or ill and almost dead)· He was swept up onto a beach after three days at sea, more dead than alive.
(=used to say that something had a bad effect rather than a good one)· I followed his advice but it did more harm than good.
You’ve had more than enough time to make all the preparations. We’ve been more fortunate than a lot of farmers. (=cause more problems rather than improve a situation)· If you don’t warm up properly, exercise may do more harm than good.
A degree is more of a hindrance than a help in British industry.· The job interview proved to be much worse than I had imagined it would be.
Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes. (=be not so much like one thing as another) ‘Will you please come with me?’ It was less a request than a command.
‘Will you please come with me?’ It was less a request than a command. a distance of less than 100 metres The message came from no less a person than the prime minister. (=very likely)· She'll be late, more than likely.
His voice was little more than a whisper. The good days more than make up for the bad ones. Our plane took off more than two hours late. More than a quarter of the students never finished their courses. The journey took longer than normal. (=more than once)· She stayed out all night on more than one occasion.
(=not perfect)· So many excellent writers, for example Byron and Keats, were less than perfect spellers.
You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened). (=not useful, and causing harm or problems)· It would be worse than useless to try and complain about him.
It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.· There’s nothing worse than lending something and not getting it back.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► would rather/would sooner ... thanPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► somebody’s bark is worse than their bite► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► easier said than done► have eyes bigger than your belly► you can’t say fairer than that► half a loaf (is better than none)► more something than you’ve had hot dinners► it’s more than my job’s worth► in less than no time► light years ahead/better etc than something► more than a little/not a little► not merely/rather than merely► more ... than the rest/the others/everything else put together► rather you/him/her/them than me► better Red than dead► can’t say fairer than that► be more sinned against than sinning► there's more than one way to skin a cat► no sooner had/did ... than► no sooner said than done► somebody would sooner do something (than)► more in sorrow than in anger► have more than one string to your bow► two heads are better than one► whiter than white
1used when comparing two things, people, situations etc: - For brain functions other than language, most of what we know comes from studies of the brains of other animals.
- He insists the designs have no grand meaning, other than that they appealed to his eye.
- It was the greatest honor, other than getting accepted in heaven.
- Its components are none other than the economic, political, military, royal, and bureaucratic branches of the social order.
- No known clockmaker, other than self-taught Harrison himself, lived or worked anywhere around north Lincolnshire in the early eighteenth century.
- That haunted offspring turns out to be none other than large Lawrence, in this raucous spoof of trash television.
- There was no reason for this other than a certain unwillingness to emerge from our bond trading shell.
- You can also create mailboxes other than the simple in and out trays and mark them in however you want.
- Alas, no sooner had he started than he realised it was no longer what he wanted.
- But no sooner had Miriam gone than Harry suddenly returned looking more cheerful than one might have expected.
- No sooner had he gone than one of the cameramen approached.
- No sooner had it begun than the rain seemed to end.
- As ever, though, actions speak louder than words.
- In any event the user's opinion of a product is reflected in the standard achieved so actions speak louder than words.
- In the kitchen, actions speak louder than words.
- On this playing field, actions speak louder than words.
- "The pictures have finally arrived.'' "Well, better late than never.''
- While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
- Beth Wolff, president of her own residential real estate company, likes to go one better.
- But even if Forbes loses his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, he may still go one better than his father.
- Ford went one better and put 60 two-stroke Fiestas on the roads.
- Laker's return of 9 for 37 was outstanding, but he was to go one better when the Aussies followed on.
- Like an aphid, then, the caterpillar employs ants as bodyguards, but it goes one better.
- She goes one better than last year.
- The Bristol & West have now gone one better than the standard endowment mortgage.
- They have followed each other up the ladder, but whenever he has reached the same rung she has gone one better.
- Many kids who leave home to live alone find they have bitten off more than they can chew.
- For most cannibals, blood is thicker than water.
- And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
- He says the new films are better than ever.
- Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
- The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
- The National Health Service is now better than ever.
- The opportunities now are better than ever.
- This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
- Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
- Tim's had more than his fair share of bad luck this year.
- I knew that Grandma's visit would be a fate worse than death.
- After all, she didn't know him, and a fate worse than death might just be awaiting her.
- It certainly wasn't because he was trying to save her from a Fate Worse than Death.
- There are various Pelagias who are known as penitent harlots or virgin martyrs who died to escape a fate worse than death.
- We've even growled at the horse, and threatened it with a fate worse than death, but to no avail!
- I tried to contact him no fewer than ten times.
- Graham was one of the larger-than-life legends of the rock era.
- Floyd Elgin Dominy, larger than life.
- He was an ebullient, larger than life denial of all that was Right: he chain-smoked and drank too much.
- He was for me larger than life.
- Nothing else in existence whatsoever, but there, all alone and larger than life, a huge carrot.
- Pitt, as always, is larger than life.
- She was like a larger than life fantasy that had just come true.
- Shrimpton was in the mid-forties, overweight, and slightly larger than life, a sociable type.
- Worrying about your problems, which seem larger than life at that time of night, is hard to resist.
- While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
- Bookings made less than four days in advance must be paid for not later than fifteen minutes before the performance.
- Copy for inclusion should reach the Editor not later than 14 February 1994.
- I have circulated the request to the various Regional Council service departments asking them to respond not later than 18 December 1992.
- Nominations must be supported by three members of the National Trust and must reach the Secretary not later than 15 June.
- Nominations should be sent to the Director-General to arrive not later than 30 November.
- The missed approach procedure must be commenced not later than this time. 6.
- This must happen once in each Parliament, usually not later than thirty-six months after the last general election.
- Although he did not reject a fact-finding mission outright, Major was clearly less than enthusiastic about the idea.
- But in the same interview Mr Dole, as is his way, was a little less than helpful to the president.
- But the way in which they are present may be less than helpful.
- In this dilemma, Eliot was less than helpful to his apologists.
- Not surprisingly, the reaction of local residents to the schemes was less than enthusiastic.
- The refugees are naturally less than enthusiastic about this.
- Those who had known him from that earlier period, however, were less than enthusiastic about his elevation.
- The change in Bob's behavior has been nothing less than a miracle.
- He is aware that what he is involved in now is nothing less than Thatcherite self-help.
- It is nothing less than an opportunity to save or change the world.
- It is nothing less than national economic and social suicide.
- The result, and the acceptance of it, is nothing less than an outrage.
- There is nothing less than a cultural cover-up about depression in men.
- They had stumbled in upon what was quite clearly nothing less than a pagan sacrifice.
- This gave her hope, for it was nothing less than a re-birth that Maggie was aiming for.
- "I didn't know he wrote poetry." "Yes -- he also does painting. There's more to him than meets the eye."
- It looks like a simple case of burglary, but there may be more to it than meets the eye.
- People think of Bradford as a dull industrial city, but there is more to it than meets the eye.
- And as to the finish, well, they'd be more than happy for you to check the results for yourself.
- For the most part, gallery staffers are more than happy to answer questions and discuss artists.
- If the leader is open, receptive, and responsive to you, the others will more than likely follow suit.
- If this is not possible, then most printers are more than happy to visit enquirers.
- The accident, as it turns out, was a broken mirror and more than likely a shortage of time.
- The Cap'n had been to Jarman House once ... would be coming again more than likely.
- They spend the time getting space for some new person who more than likely will leave.
- We trooped along and he more than likely brought his mate John Grey along with him.
- A drop in voltage can be more serious than a power cut.
- Mission-driven organizations are more efficient than rule-driven organizations, for one.
- She was more naked than if she were wearing nothing.
- Some rocks are more porous than others.
- The disease of tuberculosis is more dangerously infectious than that of leprosy...
- There are more antique stores than supermarkets, more cafes than gas stations.
- When dealing with only a few dollars, these kind of interactions can be more amusing than annoying.
- Yet, when you came down to it, what was more natural than murder?
- Educators, meanwhile, often view business with more than a little suspicion, distrust, and envy.
- Gordon was, he admitted, more than a little relieved.
- He was more than a little disappointed that his son was not athletic.
- It may be no more than a little park near work or a church that you stop by during lunch hour.
- Love: the word would be utterly meaningless in this context; no more than a little blast of sound.
- Many of these ideas depend more than a little on what you believe in.
- The ex-boyfriend is more than a little interested.
- Bob Dole Wednesday, is that no more than 16 percent of independents will vote.
- For no more than church religion did public religion live up to what its creeds professed.
- For perceived health values there were five items; no more than two responses were allowed to be missing.
- For the believer the Kingdom as a heavenly reality is no more than one generation away.
- He resented Michael Banks, but no more than he resented anyone else more famous than he was.
- The moon still hung in the sky but was no more now than a white stain.
- They were no more than survivals from the past.
- Inside, the piers were massive and there were more of them than in examples further west.
- Soon there will be more of us than there are of you.
- The boundaries of the study area are more of convenience than purely zoogeographical, because of the paucity of material from certain regions.
- The role of the computer analysts may be more of facilitator than designer, helping to realise the users' wishes.
- There are more of them than there are of us.
- There was more of everything than there were people.
- There were more of them than there used to be, he was sure of it.
- To my eyes there was more of strength than refinement in the face ...
- David watched the car drive slowly away, until it was no more than a speck in the distance.
- It's no more than you deserve.
- It was little more than a scratch.
- We were standing no more than 10 yards away from the scene of the crime and we didn't realize it.
- And no more than one in twenty earned a college degree.
- But they do not necessarily conclude that a thing is no more than the sum of its attributes.
- Dunbar had said no more than the truth, the archers could do it all.
- Here, then, no more than a few points in passing.
- Historical incidents were no more than superficial disturbances of the established order or recurring events of unchanging significance.
- It all came from the idea that a woman was no more than a useful object for a man.
- Keep it brief no more than two typed pages.
- The two year ban which he received has been no more than a minor inconvenience to him.
- The house is no more than ten minutes from the beach.
- The insurance covers not more than five days in the hospital.
- Although their investigations are supposed to take no more than two weeks, they often stretch to several months.
- But it is no more than a seed in 1215.
- Send in a good quality tape with no more than four songs.
- Some were no more than motionless translucent blobs.
- The crystal was no more than a glimmering outline in the darkness.
- Their bosses view them as no more than glorified typists and they are denied career opportunities.
- They are no more than about 20% efficient.
- They were no more than survivals from the past.
- Another of McGrath's novels, Asylum, is being adapted for the screen by none other than Stephen King.
- Faithless is the result of a close collaboration between Ullmann and her scriptwriter, who is none other than Ingmar Bergman.
- It includes an early set of variations by none other than Ludwig van Beethoven, the program's one big name.
- Its components are none other than the economic, political, military, royal, and bureaucratic branches of the social order.
- Out of this union Persephone bears none other than Dionysos.
- Sources say Gumbel was summoned there by none other than the potentate of Microsoft himself, Bill Gates.
- That haunted offspring turns out to be none other than large Lawrence, in this raucous spoof of trash television.
- Why, look, gentlemen, it is none other than our young Pascal.
- Japan's economic recovery was seen as nothing less than a miracle.
- They way they treat their workers is nothing short of barbaric.
- But of course to Miss Hoity Toity Grenfell, it was nothing less than she expected.
- He come to the remarkable conclusion that Ardakke was nothing less than the setting for the next evolutionary step for mankind.
- In such context, between such gilt-lettered cloth-bound boards, the concession was nothing less than munificent.
- It is nothing less than an opportunity to save or change the world.
- Learn each week in 60 seconds why fashion is nothing less than a full-time job!
- Milosevic is nothing less than a traitor.
- The experience of being on Iona is nothing less than magical and I am moved to tears.
- The result, and the acceptance of it, is nothing less than an outrage.
- Other than at football matches, people sing less than they used to.
- He doesn't eat out at all, other than at Burger King.
- Sam refused to discuss the argument, other than to say that Diane had called him 'gutless'.
- The music was a little loud, but other than that it was a great concert.
- You should get a little stiffness, but other than that, there should be no side effects.
- For brain functions other than language, most of what we know comes from studies of the brains of other animals.
- He insists the designs have no grand meaning, other than that they appealed to his eye.
- It was the greatest honor, other than getting accepted in heaven.
- Its components are none other than the economic, political, military, royal, and bureaucratic branches of the social order.
- No known clockmaker, other than self-taught Harrison himself, lived or worked anywhere around north Lincolnshire in the early eighteenth century.
- That haunted offspring turns out to be none other than large Lawrence, in this raucous spoof of trash television.
- There was no reason for this other than a certain unwillingness to emerge from our bond trading shell.
- You can also create mailboxes other than the simple in and out trays and mark them in however you want.
- Another of McGrath's novels, Asylum, is being adapted for the screen by none other than Stephen King.
- Faithless is the result of a close collaboration between Ullmann and her scriptwriter, who is none other than Ingmar Bergman.
- It includes an early set of variations by none other than Ludwig van Beethoven, the program's one big name.
- Its components are none other than the economic, political, military, royal, and bureaucratic branches of the social order.
- Out of this union Persephone bears none other than Dionysos.
- Sources say Gumbel was summoned there by none other than the potentate of Microsoft himself, Bill Gates.
- That haunted offspring turns out to be none other than large Lawrence, in this raucous spoof of trash television.
- Why, look, gentlemen, it is none other than our young Pascal.
- Rather than driving around all day looking for somewhere to park, why don't you take a bus into town?
- Rather than fly directly to LA, why not stop in San Francisco first?
- Bryson decided to quit rather than accept the new rules.
- I prefer cooking with olive oil rather than butter.
- She uses lemon rather than vinegar in her salad dressings.
- And two who tip the scales to the angelic side are proposing to use bombing to plant forests rather than destroy them.
- Birds excrete uric acid rather than urea because it is an insoluble solid.
- It points us to the theistic hypothesis rather than to the necessity hypothesis.
- It presumes that reality is dynamic rather than static, and therefore seeks relationships between ideas, to aim at synthesis.
- Lovers, for example, are generally kept apart by wars or political circumstances rather than by simple misunderstandings.
- Mr O'Connor, however, stressed the need for more effective policing rather than police numbers.
- There is no important theory-based reason why these countries rather than others were selected.
- We merely suggest or advise rather than give orders.
- I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
- Anyway, better safe than sorry.
- The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
- Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
- A woman could do worse than be a nurse.
- He could do worse than spend his evening keeping an eye on her.
- In groping for useful precedents, one could do worse than heed the tale of a man named Sherwood Rowland.
- The West could do worse than to base its policy towards the Middle East on that aspiration.
- You could do worse than take a leaf out of the health economists' book.
Natalie was prettier than her sister. You need that money more than I do. There were more people there than I expected. If it costs more than $60, I won’t buy it. She had woken even earlier than usual. Divorce is more common than it was a generation ago.2other than except for a particular person or thing: We never go to church other than for funerals and weddings. We know he lived in Fleet Road, but other than that we don’t know much about him.3would rather/would sooner ... than used to say that you prefer one thing to another: I’d rather drive than go by train. She said she’d rather die than live in the city.4no sooner/hardly had ... than used to say that one thing happens immediately after another thing: No sooner had I got into the house than the phone rang. Hardly had they reached Edinburgh than they were ordered to return to London.