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

See Examples For:

less than

It likely formed less than one and a half billion years after the Big Bang and could be as much as four times more massive than previous calculations suggested.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026

It’s offensive because cases like ours could have been settled for significantly less than what the verdict is.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026

Now, less than a year after losing his sight, Tom is already preparing to run 2027's London Marathon - with his mother as his guide.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

The Stoxx Europe 600 is up 10% so far this year, a bit less than the S&P 500’s 12% gain.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

I scrawl something unintelligible in the book and then set my plate awkwardly on the end table next to the sofa, ready to leave less than five minutes after I arrived.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse