less

to a smaller extent, amount, or degree: He was less than courteous. [Few and fewer should be used only before a plural: a few cookies remained; fewer people attended. Less should modify only singular nouns: less money, less courage. When a plural noun suggests a combination into a unit, less is used: less than fifteen cents (a sum of money); less than fifteen miles (a unit of distance); less sugar (a mass noun).]
Not to be confused with:fewer – of a smaller number: He said the same thing, but in fewer words.

less

L0128100 (lĕs)adj.A comparative of little1. Not as great in amount or quantity: had less time to spend with the family.2. Lower in importance, esteem, or rank: no less a person than the ambassador.3. Consisting of a smaller number.prep. With the deduction of; minus: Five less two is three.adv.Comparative of little To a smaller extent, degree, or frequency: less happy; less expensive.n.1. A smaller amount: She received less than she asked for.2. Something not as important as something else: People have been punished for less.Idioms: less than Not at all: He had a less than favorable view of the matter. much/still less Certainly not: I'm not blaming anyone, much less you.

[Middle English lesse, from Old English lǣssa (adj.) and lǣs (adv.); see leis- in Indo-European roots.]Usage Note: The traditional rule holds that fewer should be used for things that can be counted (fewer than four players), while less should be used with mass nouns for things of measurable extent (less paper; less than a gallon of paint). The Usage Panel largely supports the traditional rule. In our 2006 survey, only five percent accepted the sentence There are less crowds at the mall these days, while 28 percent accepted the following sentence, in which less is contrasted with more: The region needs more jobs, not less jobs. The Panel was a little more accepting (but still not in favor) of the familiar supermarket usage The express lane is reserved for shoppers with 10 or less items. The traditional rule is often hard to follow in practice, however, in part because plural nouns and mass nouns are similar in being divisible and in lacking distinct boundaries. For this reason, plurals and mass nouns are used in many of the same ways. Both can be used without determiners (I like apples, I like applesauce), and they both can take certain quantifiers like some and more (more apples, more applesauce). Less falls in the same class as some and more and is used in some well-established constructions where fewer would occur if the traditional rule were applied. Less than can be used before a plural noun that denotes a measure of time, amount, or distance: less than three weeks; less than $400; less than 50 miles. Less is sometimes used with plural nouns in the expressions no less than (as in No less than 30 of his colleagues signed the letter) and or less (as in Give your reasons in 25 words or less). And the approximator more or less is normally used after plural nouns as well as mass nouns: I have two dozen apples, more or less. To use fewer in such constructions sounds fastidious, so writers who follow the traditional rule should do so with caution.

less

(lɛs) determiner1. a. the comparative of little¹: less sugar; less spirit than before. b. (as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural): she has less than she needs; the less you eat, the less you want. 2. (usually preceded by no) lower in rank or importance: no less a man than the president; St James the Less. 3. no less informal used to indicate surprise or admiration, often sarcastic, at the preceding statement: she says she's been to Italy, no less. 4. less of to a smaller extent or degree: we see less of John these days; less of a success than I'd hoped. adv5. the comparative of little (sense 1): she walks less than she should; less quickly; less beautiful. 6. much less still less used to reinforce a negative: we don't like it, still less enjoy it. 7. think less of to have a lower opinion ofprepsubtracting; minus: three weeks less a day. [Old English lǣssa (adj), lǣs (adv, n)]Usage: Less should not be confused with fewer. Less refers strictly only to quantity and not to number: there is less water than before. Fewer means smaller in number: there are fewer people than before

less

(lɛs)

adv. a compar. of little with least as superl. 1. to a smaller extent, amount, or degree: less exact. 2. most certainly not (often prec. by much or still): I could barely pay for my own meal, much less for hers. 3. in any way different; other: He's nothing less than a thief. adj. 4. smaller in size, amount, degree, etc.; not so large, great, or much: less money; less speed. 5. lower in consideration, rank, or importance: no less a person than the mayor. 6. fewer: less than ten. n. a compar. of little with least as superl. 7. a smaller amount or quantity: She eats less every day. 8. something inferior or not as important: People have been imprisoned for less. prep. 9. minus; without: a year less two days. Idioms: less and less, to a decreasing extent or degree. [before 900; Middle English; Old English lǣs (adv.), lǣssa (adj.), c. Old Frisian lēs (adv.), lēssa (adj.). See least] usage: Many usage guides say that fewer should be used before plural nouns specifying individuals or distinguishable units: fewer words; no fewer than 31 of the 50 states. less, the guides maintain, should modify only singular mass nouns (less sugar; less money) and singular abstract nouns (less doubt; less power). It should modify plural nouns only when they suggest combination into a unit, group, or aggregation: less than $50 (a sum of money); less than three miles (a unit of distance). Standard English practice does not consistently reflect these distinctions. The use of less or less than where usage guides recommend fewer (than) is common in most varieties of English: less than eight million people; no less than 31 of the 50 states; We did more work with less people. Though these uses are often criticized, they appear to be increasing in frequency.

-less

an adjective-forming suffix meaning “without,” “not having” that specified by the noun base (careless; shameless); added to verbs, it is equivalent to “un-” plus the present participle of the verb, or “un-” plus the verb plus “-able” (quenchless; tireless). [Middle English -les, Old English -lēas, suffixal use of lēas free from, without, false, c. Old Saxon, Old High German lōs, Old Norse lauss; compare loose]

less

1. used in front of nouns

You use less in front of an uncountable noun to say that one quantity is not as big as another, or that a quantity is not as big as it was before.

A shower uses less water than a bath.His work gets less attention than it deserves.

Less is sometimes used in front of plural nouns.

This proposal will mean less jobs.Less people are going to university than usual.

Some people think this use is wrong. They say that you should use fewer in front of plural nouns, not 'less'.

There are fewer trees here.The new technology allows products to be made with fewer components than before.

However, fewer sounds formal when used in conversation. As an alternative to 'less' or 'fewer', you can use not as many or not so many in front of plural nouns. These expressions are acceptable in both conversation and writing.

There are not as many cottages as there were.There aren't so many trees there.

After not as many and not so many you use as, not 'than'.

2. 'less than' and 'fewer than'

You use less than in front of a noun phrase to say that an amount or measurement is below a particular point or level.

It's hard to find a house in Beverly Hills for less than a million dollars.I travelled less than 3000 miles.

Less than is sometimes used in front of a noun phrase referring to a number of people or things.

The whole of Switzerland has less than six million inhabitants.The country's army consisted of less than a hundred soldiers.

Some people think this use is wrong. They say that you should use fewer than, not 'less than', in front of a noun phrase referring to people or things.

He had never been in a class with fewer than forty children.In 1900 there were fewer than one thousand university teachers.

You can use less than in conversation, but you should use fewer than in formal writing.

However, fewer than can only be used when the following noun phrase refers to a number of people or things. Don't use 'fewer than' when the noun phrase refers to an amount or measurement. Don't say, for example, 'I travelled fewer than 3000 miles.

3. 'less' used in front of adjectives

Less can be used in front of an adjective to say that someone or something has a smaller amount of a quality than they had before, or a smaller amount than someone or something else has.

After I spoke to her, I felt less worried.Most of the other plays were less successful.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'less' in front of the comparative form of an adjective. Don't say, for example, 'It is less colder than it was yesterday'. Say 'It is less cold than it was yesterday'.

4. 'not as ... as'

In conversation and informal writing, people don't usually use 'less' in front of adjectives. They don't say, for example, 'It is less cold than it was yesterday'. They say 'It is not as cold as it was yesterday'.

The region is not as pretty as the Dordogne.

Not so is also sometimes used, but this is less common.

The officers here are not so young as the lieutenants.

After not as and not so, you use as, not 'than'.

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	less - (comparative of `little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree; "of less importance"; "less time to spend with the family"; "a shower uses less water"; "less than three years old"comparative, comparative degree - the comparative form of an adjective or adverb; "`faster' is the comparative of the adjective `fast'"; "`less famous' is the comparative degree of the adjective `famous'"; "`more surely' is the comparative of the adverb `surely'"slight, little - (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with `a') at least some; "little rain fell in May"; "gave it little thought"; "little time is left"; "we still have little money"; "a little hope remained"; "there's slight chance that it will work"; "there's a slight chance it will work"more, more than - (comparative of `much' used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree; "more land"; "more support"; "more rain fell"; "more than a gallon"
	2.	less - (usually preceded by `no') lower in quality; "no less than perfect"inferior - of low or inferior quality
	3.	less - (nonstandard in some uses but often idiomatic with measure phrases) fewer; "less than three weeks"; "no less than 50 people attended"; "in 25 words or less"fewer - (comparative of `few' used with count nouns) quantifier meaning a smaller number of; "fewer birds came this year"; "the birds are fewer this year"; "fewer trains were late"
Adv.	1.	less - used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs; "less interesting"; "less expensive"; "less quickly"to a lesser extentmore, to a greater extent - used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs; "more interesting"; "more beautiful"; "more quickly"
	2.	less - comparative of little; "she walks less than she should"; "he works less these days"more - comparative of much; to a greater degree or extent; "he works more now"; "they eat more than they should"

less

determiner1. smaller, shorter, slighter, not so much Eat less fat to reduce the risk of heart disease.adverb1. to a smaller extent, little, barely, not much, not so much, meagrely We are eating more and exercising less.pronoun1. a smaller amount, not as much (as) Motorways cover less than 0.1 per cent of the countryside.preposition1. minus, without, lacking, excepting, subtracting Company car drivers will pay ten percent, less tax.Quotations
"Less is more" [Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]Usage: Less should not be confused with fewer. Less refers strictly only to quantity and not to number: there is less water than before. Fewer means smaller in number: there are fewer people than before.

Translations

较少地较少的减去更少更少的

less

(les) adjective (often with than) not as much (as). Think of a number less than forty; He drank his tea and wished he had put less sugar in it; The salary for that job will be not less than $30,000. 较少的，更少的 adverb not as much or to a smaller extent. I like her less every time I see her; You should smoke less if you want to remain healthy.较少地 pronoun a smaller part or amount. He has less than I have.更少 preposition minus. He earns $280 a week less $90 income tax.减去ˈlessen verb to make or become less. The fan lessened the heat a little; When the children left, the noise lessened considerably.减少ˈlesser adjective smaller or not as important. the lesser of the two towns. 较小的，較少的 adverb less. the lesser-known streets of London.较少地the less … the less/moreetc . The less I see of him, the better (pleased I'll be)!; The less I practise, the less confident I become; The less I try, the more I succeed.越...就越...no less a person etc thanas great a person etc as: I had tea with no less a person than the Prime Minister身份不低于less is used in speaking about quantity or amount: People should eat less fat ; I've less than $100 in the bank .
fewer sould be used in speaking about numbers of individual things or people: I've fewer books than he has ; There were fewer than 50 people at the meeting .

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→ 较少zhCN, 较少地zhCN, 较少的zhCN

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Synonyms for less

determiner smaller

Synonyms

adv to a smaller extent

Synonyms

pronoun a smaller amount

Synonyms

prep minus

Synonyms

Synonyms for less

adj (comparative of 'little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree

Related Words

Antonyms

adj (usually preceded by 'no') lower in quality

Related Words

adj (nonstandard in some uses but often idiomatic with measure phrases) fewer

Related Words

adv used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

Synonyms

Antonyms

adv comparative of little

Antonyms