Les Smaller Time Determiner Pronoun Butter/Time/Importance Advised Smoke

• less butter/time/importance
• he was advised to smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less beer.
• we have less to worry about now.
• they say we should exercise and eat less of some kinds of fat.

less

1. used with uncountable nouns to mean ‘a smaller amount of’
• less butter/time/importance
• He was advised to smoke fewer cigarettes and drink less beer.
• We have less to worry about now.
• They say we should exercise and eat less of some kinds of fat.
• We'll be there in less than no time (= very soon).
• The victory was nothing less than a miracle.
• It is less of a problem than I'd expected.
2. smaller and smaller amounts; at a rate that is decreasing
• As time passed, she saw less and less of all her old friends at home.
• There used to be TV shows that everyone would watch at the same time and talk about the next day, but that happens less and less.
3. including only what is essential can create a more effective product or result
• His simple, elegant paintings reflect his principle that less is more.
4. used to suggest that something is surprising or impressive
• She's having lunch with the Director, no less.
5. used to emphasize a large amount
• The guide contains details of no less than 115 hiking routes.

Word Origin

• Old English lǣssa, of Germanic origin; related to Old Frisian lēssa, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek loisthos ‘last’.