Definition of less

lessdeterminer

nhỏ bé, ít hơn, số lượng ít hơn

/lɛs/

Definition of undefined

The word "less" has a rich history dating back to Old English. The word is formed by adding the suffix "-less" to an adjective, which means "without" or "lacking." In Old English, the suffix was used to form words such as "hapless" (without luck) and "wearyless" (without weariness). Over time, the suffix became attached to the adjective "little" to form the word "less," which signified a lack or deficiency of something. For example, "less" could be used to describe a smaller quantity of something, such as "less water" or "less food." The word "less" has been used in the English language since the 9th century and has evolved to have multiple meanings, including comparative and superlative forms. Today, "less" is a commonly used word in everyday language, often contrasted with the word "fewer" when referring to countable nouns.

Summary
type tính từ, cấp so sánh của little
meaningnhỏ hơn, bé hơn, ít hơn, kém
examplea year less two months: một năm kém hai tháng
exampleI cannot take less: tôi không thể lấy ít hơn
examplein less than a year: chưa đầy một năm
meaningmong anh không gầy đi
type phó từ
meaningnhỏ hơn, bé hơn, ít hơn, không bằng, kém
examplea year less two months: một năm kém hai tháng
exampleI cannot take less: tôi không thể lấy ít hơn
examplein less than a year: chưa đầy một năm
namespace
Example:
  • I need less sugar in my coffee to make it less sweet.

    Tôi cần ít đường hơn trong cà phê để làm cho nó bớt ngọt.

  • We ordered less food since the portion sizes were so large.

    Chúng tôi gọi ít đồ ăn hơn vì khẩu phần ăn quá lớn.

  • I try to use less water while washing dishes to help conserve resources.

    Tôi cố gắng sử dụng ít nước hơn khi rửa bát để tiết kiệm tài nguyên.

  • Jake is becoming less reliant on his parents as he gets older.

    Jake ngày càng ít phụ thuộc vào cha mẹ hơn khi anh lớn lên.

  • Despite the rain, the hiking trail was less crowded than usual.

    Mặc dù trời mưa, đường mòn đi bộ vẫn ít đông đúc hơn bình thường.

  • The software program has fewer bugs now that they've released an update.

    Phần mềm hiện có ít lỗi hơn sau khi họ phát hành bản cập nhật.

  • I need less sleep now that I'm older, but I still make time to prioritize rest.

    Tôi không còn cần ngủ nhiều nữa vì đã lớn tuổi, nhưng tôi vẫn dành thời gian để ưu tiên cho việc nghỉ ngơi.

  • The airline offered less legroom on the flight, which made it less comfortable for passengers.

    Hãng hàng không cung cấp ít chỗ để chân trên chuyến bay, khiến hành khách không thoải mái.

  • Jake is less competitive in team sports now that he's realized it's more important to have fun.

    Jake ít cạnh tranh hơn trong các môn thể thao đồng đội vì giờ đây cậu nhận ra rằng việc vui vẻ quan trọng hơn.

  • The city is less noisy now that construction on the new building has finished.

    Thành phố bớt ồn ào hơn sau khi việc xây dựng tòa nhà mới hoàn thành.

Idioms

less and less
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.
  • less is more
    (saying)including only what is essential can create a more effective product or result
  • His simple, elegant paintings reflect his principle that less is more.
  • no less
    (often ironic)used to suggest that something is surprising or impressive
  • She's having lunch with the Director, no less.
  • no less than…
    used to emphasize a large amount
  • The seller expects to get no less than $10 000 for the artwork.