English · Word Candidate

less

/lɛs/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Used for constructing syntactic diminutive comparatives of adjectives and adverbs.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

để tạo so sánh mức độ nhỏ hơn của tính từ và trạng từ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adverb

Examples

Randal is less welcome than Rachel but as her spouse we should invite them both.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To a smaller extent or degree.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

ở mức độ nhỏ hơn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adverb

Examples

The grammar book was less than (that is, not at all) helpful.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A smaller amount of; not as much.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

số lượng nhỏ hơn, không nhiều

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Determiner

Examples

No less than eight pints of beer.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Fewer; a smaller number of.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Ít hơn, số lượng nhỏ hơn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Determiner

Examples

There are less people here now.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “less” mean?

Used for constructing syntactic diminutive comparatives of adjectives and adverbs.

Is “less” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.