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.

The US leader's influence could be less clear-cut this time around, however.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Mice showed far less lose-shift behavior, making them less likely to adjust their decisions after an unexpected outcome.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

It’s less than 2 miles from Newark Liberty International Airport.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

"I walk to work now. Of course, this is less convenient than driving, but not a huge problem," one resident of the city of Simferopol told Bereg, an independent website.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

We know she was less than five feet tall and fewer than one hundred pounds, yet tough enough to cross battlefields as bullets rained around her.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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Example Sentences

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