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

General Mills said last week that consumers earning less than $100,000 a year are buying more food at price promotions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Turkish security forces found the wreckage of the aircraft near a village, less than 40 miles southwest of the capital, the interior minister said.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s a tidy sum that implies it took Musk less than seven seconds to earn what the average U.S. household makes in a year.

From Barron's

Orsted was higher by less than 1% following a dive of 13%.

From MarketWatch

Fewer people in the U.S. are drinking alcohol, and when they do imbibe, they drink less than they used to.

From MarketWatch