Definitions

less

[les] / lɛs /

ADJECTIVE

smaller, inferior

Synonyms

STRONGEST

fewer

STRONG

lesser limited lower minor minus negative secondary subordinate

WEAK

beneath declined deficient depressed diminished excepting lacking not as great reduced shortened shorter slighter subtracting unsubstantial without

Antonyms

STRONG

greater higher important major superior

WEAK

bigger more

ADVERB

little

Synonyms

WEAK

barely in a lower degree meagerly to a smaller extent

Antonyms

WEAK

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Less need, perhaps, for traditional armour and ships.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

Less well-hedged competitors are already cutting capacity, he added, while Ryanair is not.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Less worrisome was a 0.3% increase in the cost of wholesale services in May.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 11, 2026

Less than 15 minutes later, Trump posted that talks with Iran were proceeding at a “rapid pace.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026

Less than two years later, the organization had more than nineteen thousand members.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling