: by no means : far from : not at all
the road … was something less than smooth — M.W.Fishwick
America's friends abroad would be less than candid if they did not report the fact — Barbara Ward
* * *
less than phrase
used before a number or amount to say that the actual number or amount is smaller than this
It costs less than £50 to fly to Rome.
His death was the second skiing tragedy in less than a week.
In some areas there is a less than 30% turnout in local elections.
Thesaurus: less and not as muchsynonym
Main entry: less
* * *
less than
: not completely or not at all
She was less than happy with the results. [=she was not entirely happy or she was unhappy]
He was less than honest in his replies. [=he was not completely honest or he was very dishonest]
• • •
Main Entry: ↑less
Useful english dictionary. 2012.