much less

conjunction

: not to mention
used especially in negative contexts to add to one item another denoting something less likely
He had trouble paying for a car, much less a high-definition TV.
And so it appears that he is never going to get out of the eighth grade, much less ever make it to college.Thomas Meehan

Examples of much less in a Sentence

after spraining his ankle, the gymnast hadn't been expected to appear in today's event, much less win it

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of much less was in 1615

Dictionary Entries Near much less

Cite this Entry

“Much less.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/much%20less. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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