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

See Examples For:

less than

Imax CFO Natasha Fernandes said company box-office sales for the film, which hit U.S. theaters on July 17, had already run higher than $80 million in less than a week.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

After the test run, Petty concluded that it will take less than 90 days to clean the three skyscrapers that stick out on the city skyline over Crypto.com Arena and the Harbor Freeway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

It is only the fourth time in Fury's professional career he has weighed less than his opponent.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

For the record, less than half of the Senate and only a third of the House held shares in individual companies in 2024, the Journal reported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

I slipped silently into the same window I’d left less than an hour before.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin