less
[les] determiner pronoun adverb
ESSENTIAL
■a smaller amount (of); not so much, or to a smaller degree 更少，较小•We must try to spend less money.我们必须尽量少花一些钱。 •Exercise more and eat less.要少吃多运动。 •I eat less chocolate and fewer biscuits than I used to.巧克力和饼干我比以前吃得少了。 •Getting out of bed in summer is less difficult than in winter.在夏天起床不像在冬天那样困难。 less than ...
■describes behaviour which does not have a stated characteristic that is good or attractive 缺少，缺乏•I think he was less than honest with me.我认为他对我不够诚实。 less and less
■If something happens less and less, it becomes gradually smaller in amount or happens less often 越来越少，越来越小•He's less and less able to look after himself.他越来越不会照顾自己了。
[les] determiner pronoun adverb
much/still less formal
■used to make a negative statement stronger 更不用说，更别提•At the age of fourteen I had never even been on a train, much less an aircraft.我14岁时还从未坐过火车，更不用说飞机了。
[les] determiner pronoun adverb
no less humorous
■used to show the importance of someone or something （用于表示某人或某事很重要）正是，竟然，千真万确•Who should arrive at the party but the Prime Minister, no less!来参加派对的不正是首相吗，千真万确！
[les] determiner pronoun adverb
no less than
■used to show your surprise at a large number 绝不少于，不低于•There were no less than a thousand people there buying tickets.至少有上千人在那里买票。
[les] determiner pronoun adverb
Common Learner Errors less or fewer?Use less to refer to uncountable nouns.Don't say 'less cars/facts/dollars', say less traffic/information/money.With nouns that have a plural form, don't use 'less', use fewer :
✗ There are less buses after 8 o'clock in the evening.There are fewer buses after 8 o'clock in the evening.Warning: Many English speakers use 'less' before nouns that have a plural form, but some people consider this incorrect and it should not be used in exams.
[les] preposition
■minus (SUBTRACTION) 减•The total is thirty pounds, less the five pounds deposit that you've paid.除去你已经支付的5英镑定金，你应付的总金额为30英镑。 |