less than

Idioms  

1. Not at all or hardly at all. For example, He had a less than favorable view of the matter, or She had a less than adequate grasp of the subject. This expression uses less in the sense of “a smaller quantity, number, or extent than is implied,” a usage dating from about a.d. 1000. The same sense appears in less than no time, a hyperbolic term for a very short time (as in Don't worry, he'll be here in less than no time) that dates from about 1800.

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Example Sentences

Less than two months before the Black Tuesday of Oct.

From Slate • May 5, 2026

Less than a year later, Jackson’s former rental home was put on the market for $23.5 million and was simultaneously offered up as a rental property for the same price the singer had paid.

From MarketWatch • May 5, 2026

Less than a third of consumers expect the economy to get better in the next six months, while nearly half expect it to get worse, according to the latest Morgan Stanley poll.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

Less than 18 months after he was drafted, Lesch, wracked by a rotator cuff injury, was released, his major league dream over before he was old enough to legally buy a beer.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

Less than ten minutes later, he picks me up in his dad’s Benz.

From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas