What does “less” mean?
- 1
determinera smaller amount of something
You should eat less sugar.
- 2
adverbto a smaller degree
This model is less expensive than that one.
Less at a glance
- Part of speech
- determiner & adverb
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /lɛs/ · LESS
How to use “less” correctly
Traditionally, “less” goes with uncountable nouns (“less water”) and “fewer” with plurals (“fewer people”).
Common phrases with “less”
- less than
- more or less
- less and less
- no less than
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
“less” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- least determinerA2the smallest amount of something
- most determinerA2almost all of a group of people or things
- several determinerA2more than two but not very many
- all determinerA1the whole number or amount of something
- almost adverbA2very nearly but not completely
- any determinerA1some; used in questions and negative sentences
- billion numberA2the number 1,000,000,000; a thousand million
- both determinerA1the two people or things together