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

My first surgery to fix the problem came when I was less than a year old.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 30, 2026

Its forward P/E is now less than half that of the S&P 500.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 30, 2026

Most billionaires own assets of less than $50 billion but an elite group of 19 have more than $100 billion—15 of them are based in the U.S.

From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026

Last month the health inspectorate reported that Ysbyty Glan Clwyd's A&E was a service "needing significant improvements", less than two years after it came out of special scrutiny for similar issues.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026

“Mud could reach houses less than twenty feet above the river,” he said.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone