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.

---

Example Sentences

Less than 48 hours later, the church’s faithful gathered online for Sunday services.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Less than a week on from becoming a two-time World Cup winner, she announced she was "not hanging up her boots any time soon".

From BBC • May 9, 2026

Less than a year ago, astronomers spotted a comet passing through our solar system that originated far beyond it.

From Science Daily • May 8, 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 a month later, on December 5, 1941, Hitler decided to postpone his attempt to seize Moscow until spring.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein