Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance
Usage Contextgeneralediting

Note: Use for uncountable amounts in formal writing.

Editorial Guides For "less"

Fewer vs Less: The Practical Rule (and When to Bend It)

Use fewer and less correctly in everyday writing without sounding stiff.

Related Topic Clusters

Confusing Word Pairs

Commonly mixed-up words with quick context tests and usage cues.

Less

//lɛs// adj, adv, conj, det, noun, prep, verb

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Lesser; smaller. archaic, not-comparable

    "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."

Adjective
  1. 1
    (comparative of ‘little’ usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree wordnet
  2. 2
    (nonstandard in some uses but often idiomatic with measure phrases) fewer wordnet
  3. 3
    (usually preceded by ‘no’) lower in quality wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    comparative degree of little comparative, diminutive, form-of

    "I slept even less last night than I did the night before."

  2. 2
    Used for constructing syntactic diminutive comparatives of adjectives and adverbs. comparative, diminutive

    "Randal is less welcome than Rachel but as her spouse we should invite them both."

  3. 3
    To a smaller extent or degree. comparative, diminutive

    "The grammar book was less than (that is, not at all) helpful."

Adverb
  1. 1
    used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs, indicates that the adjective or adverb is less of something wordnet
  2. 2
    comparative of little wordnet
Conjunction
  1. 1
    unless dialectal, nonstandard

    "To tell you true, 'tis too good for you, 'less you had grace to follow it"

Determiner
  1. 1
    comparative form of little: more little; of inferior size, degree or extent; smaller, lesser. comparative, form-of

    "Those Rattels are somewhat like the chape of a Rapier, but lesse, which they take from the taile of a snake."

  2. 2
    A smaller amount of; not as much.

    "No less than eight pints of beer."

  3. 3
    Fewer; a smaller number of. nonstandard, proscribed

    "There are less people here now."

Noun
  1. 1
    A smaller amount or quantity. uncountable

    "Less is better."

  2. 2
    plural of LES form-of, plural
Preposition
  1. 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."

Verb
  1. 1
    To make less; to lessen. archaic

    "1386-90, Gower, Confessio Amantis What he will make lesse, he lesseth."

  2. 2
    Alternative form of let's. alt-of, alternative

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

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.

Etymology 4

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.

Etymology 5

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.

Etymology 6

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.

Etymology 7

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

See also for "less"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: less