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

The new EV incentive is less than half of the federal incentive that expired nine months ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026

That is good news on its surface, but the cause is less than ideal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026

He highlighted technology that makes scanned documents accessible online to potential investors "in less than a minute".

From Barron's • Jul. 3, 2026

Kebabs that were meant to be "70% lamb" came back as showing "less than 10% sheep".

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2026

It had been less than half an hour since she’d first seen that trickle of smoke.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz