English Explanatory Dictionary

less

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adv
  1. comparative degree of little
  2. Used for constructing syntactic diminutive comparatives of adjectives and adverbs.
  3. To a smaller extent or degree.
det
  1. comparative form of little: more little; of inferior size, degree or extent; smaller, lesser.
  2. A smaller amount of; not as much.
  3. Fewer; a smaller number of.
prep
  1. Minus; not including
verb
  1. To make less; to lessen.
adj
  1. Lesser; smaller.
noun
  1. A smaller amount or quantity.
conj
  1. unless
verb
  1. Alternative form of let's.
noun
  1. plural of LES

Pronunciation

/lɛs/ En-uk-less.ogg en-us-less.ogg

Word forms

less lesses lessing lessed

Etymology

Adverb From Middle English les, lesse, leasse, lasse, from Old English lǣs (“smaller, less”), from Proto-Germanic *laisiz, from Proto-Indo-European *leys- (“to shrink, grow thin, be gentle”). Cognate with Old Frisian lēs (“less”), Old Saxon lēs (“less”). According to Kroonen (2013), from a northern Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-, which he connects to Lithuanian liesas (“lean”). Determiner and preposition from Middle English lees, lesse, leasse, lasse, from Old English lǣssa (“less”), from Proto-Germanic *laisizan-, from Proto-Germanic *laisiz (“smaller, lesser, fewer, lower”) (see above). Cognate with Old Frisian lessa (“less”). Verb from Middle English lessen, from the determiner. Noun from Middle English lesse, from the determiner.

Antonyms

more greater plus

Related words

fewer lesser

Derived words

all the less could care less could not care less couldn't care less deuce less in less than no time less and less less is a bore less is more less-lethal lessness less so less than less than no time less-than-stellar less than stellar less than three less than truckload more or less much less natheless ne'ertheless nevertheless no less no more no less none the less nonetheless road less traveled road less travelled say less twice as less very less
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