less 1 of 2

adjective

ˈles How to pronounce less (audio)
Definition of lessnext
as in lesser
having not so great importance or rank as another the restaurant's chowder has been declared the state's best by no less a person than the governor himself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

less

2 of 2

preposition

as in wanting

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of less
Adjective
Across institutions, there is now broad recognition that people are hungry for connection, but far less understanding of how humans build connection. — Julia Dhar, Time, 11 July 2026 The guidance is less about reducing gift tax than reducing paperwork. — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
Preposition
Vance has since taken care to appear supportive of the president, if less so about the specifics of the war effort. — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for less
Recent Examples of Synonyms for less
  1. lesser
  2. minus
  3. lower
  4. except
Adjective
  • Even lesser-scale incidents like the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal and the Volkswagen emissions scandal erode trust in the institutions that help make our society possible and push it forward.
    — Lindsey Witmer Collins, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Toronto’s Fred VanVleet appears to be the top target, but Miami’s Kyle Lowry, Utah’s Mike Conley and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier have been linked to the team at various points.
    — Staff Writer Follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2023
Definition of lesser
Preposition
  • DraftKings slightly favors yes, while BetMGM favors no, but both sportsbooks are giving minus odds to yes and no.
    — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • One example is a lithium-ion capacitor hybrid system that can activate instantly at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 degrees Celsius) while delivering continuous power.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
Definition of minus
Adjective
  • And ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled those lower court rulings and did declare the embryos as children qualifying under the wrongful death statute.
    — Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2024
  • Lower gas demand amid increasing supply has led to lower pump prices.
    — Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 19 June 2023
Definition of lower
Preposition
  • At Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, face masks are required in public areas, except when dining or swimming, capacity of public areas will be limited, and housekeeping and public area attendants will increase their cleaning procedures.
    — Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2020
  • The city advised all residents to stay inside except those going to and from work and anyone seeking or giving emergency care, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti's official Twitter account.
    — NBC News, NBC News, 1 June 2020
Definition of except

Phrases Containing less

Browse Nearby Words

lesions
less
lessee
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Less.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/less. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on less

Nglish: Translation of less for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All