8 PHRASE You use less than to say that something does not have a particular quality. For example, if you describe something as less than perfect, you mean that it is not perfect at all. [EMPHASIS ] □ Her greeting was less than enthusiastic. □ Her advice has frequently been less than wholly helpful.
9 PHRASE You use no less than before an amount to indicate that the amount is surprisingly large. [EMPHASIS ] □ The Amazon is no less than 200 miles wide at its mouth. □ He is lined up for no less than four U.S. television interviews.
10 couldn't care less → see care
11 more or less → see more
SUFFIX -less
forms adjectives that indicate that someone or something does not have a particular thing. For example, someone who is jobless does not have a job.
les|see /le siː / (lessees ) N‑COUNT A lessee is a person who has taken out a lease on something such as a house or piece of land. [LEGAL ]
less|en /le s ə n/ (lessens , lessening , lessened ) VERB If something lessens or you lessen it, it becomes smaller in size, amount, degree, or importance. □ [V ] As time went on, her anxiety lessened. □ [V n] Make sure that your immunisations are up to date to lessen the risk of serious illness. ● less|en|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of/in ] …increased trade and a lessening of tension on the border.
less|er /le sə r /
1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use lesser in order to indicate that something is smaller in extent, degree, or amount than another thing that has been mentioned. □ Any medication is affected to a greater or lesser extent by many factors. □ The more obvious potential allies are Ireland, Denmark and, to a lesser degree, the Netherlands. ● ADV [ADV -ed] Lesser is also an adverb. □ …lesser known works by famous artists.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You can use lesser to refer to something or someone that is less important than other things or people of the same type. □ They pleaded guilty to lesser charges of criminal damage. □ He was feared by other, lesser, men.
3 the lesser of two evils → see evil
les|son ◆◇◇ /le s ə n/ (lessons )
1 N‑COUNT A lesson is a fixed period of time when people are taught about a particular subject or taught how to do something. □ It would be his last French lesson for months. □ Johanna took piano lessons.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You use lesson to refer to an experience which acts as a warning to you or an example from which you should learn. □ I had learned a very important lesson: adults must take responsibility for their own fate. ● PHRASE If you say that you are going to teach someone a lesson , you mean that you are going to punish them for something that they have done so that they do not do it again. COLLOCATIONS lesson NOUN
1
noun + lesson : driving, English, piano, swimming
adjective + lesson : compulsory, free, private; one-hour
verb + lesson : give, offer
2
noun + lesson : life
adjective + lesson : hard, harsh; important, salutary, valuable
verb + lesson : learn; teach
les|sor /lesɔː r / (lessors ) N‑COUNT A lessor is a person who owns something such as a house or piece of land and leases it to someone else. [LEGAL ]
lest /le st/ CONJ If you do something lest something unpleasant should happen, you do it to try to prevent the unpleasant thing from happening. [FORMAL ] □ I was afraid to open the door lest he should follow me. □ And, lest we forget, Einstein wrote his most influential papers while working as a clerk.
let ◆◆◆ /le t/ (lets , letting ) The form let is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle. 1 VERB If you let something happen, you allow it to happen without doing anything to stop or prevent it. □ [V n inf] Thorne let him talk. □ [V n inf] She let the door slam. □ [V pron-refl inf] I can't let myself be distracted by those things.
2 VERB If you let someone do something, you give them your permission to do it. □ [V n inf] I love sweets but Mum doesn't let me have them very often. □ [V n prep/adv] Visa or no visa, they won't let you into the country.
3 VERB If you let someone into, out of, or through a place, you allow them to enter, leave, or go through it, for example by opening a door or making room for them. □ [V n prep/adv] I had to let them into the building because they had lost their keys. □ [V n prep/adv] I'd better go and let the dog out.
4 VERB You use let me when you are introducing something you want to say. □ [V me inf] Let me tell you what I saw last night. □ [V me inf] Let me explain why.
5 VERB You use let me when you are offering politely to do something. [POLITENESS ] □ [V me inf] Let me take your coat. □ [V me inf] Let me get you something to drink.
6 VERB You say let's or, in more formal English, let us , to direct the attention of the people you are talking to towards the subject that you want to consider next. □ [V us inf] Let's consider ways of making it easier. □ [V us inf] Let us look at these views in more detail.
7 VERB You say let's or, in formal English, let us , when you are making a suggestion that involves both you and the person you are talking to, or when you are agreeing to a suggestion of this kind. □ [V us inf] I'm bored. Let's go home. □ [V 's ] 'Shall we go in and have some supper?'—'Yes, let's.'