/ les; NAmE / determiner , pronoun , adverb , preposition
■ determiner , pronoun
used with uncountable nouns to mean 'a smaller amount of' :
less butter / time / importance
He was advised to smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less beer.
We have less to worry about now.
It is less of a problem than I'd expected.
We'll be there in less than no time (= very soon) .
The victory was nothing less than a miracle.
HELP NOTE : People often use less with countable nouns:
There were less cars on the road then.
This is not considered correct by some people, and fewer should be used instead.
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IDIOMS
- less and less
- no less
- no less than ...
■ adverb
to a smaller degree; not so much :
less expensive / likely / intelligent
less often / enthusiastically
I read much less now than I used to.
The receptionist was less than (= not at all) helpful.
She wasn't any the less happy for (= she was perfectly happy) being on her own.
That this is a positive stereotype makes it no less a stereotype, and therefore unacceptable.
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IDIOMS
- even / much / still less
- less and less
—more at more adverb
■ preposition
used before a particular amount that must be taken away from the amount just mentioned
SYN minus :
a monthly salary of $2 000 less tax and insurance
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English lǣssa , of Germanic origin; related to Old Frisian lēssa , from an Indo-European root shared by Greek loisthos last.