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

For three years, Edwards and his wife earned a combined income of less than $100,000.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

“We took meaningful market share in less than 12 months, especially in the U.S.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

It requires close contact of less than one meter for 30 minutes, he said, adding that hantavirus is "much less transmissible" than Covid-19 or the flu.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Homes for Ukraine was set up in in March 2022, less than a month after Russia's full scale invasion.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

I don’t even remember taking my pajamas off, but I was in my uniform and following Sam out the door at a run in less than a minute.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin