less
To a diminished degree
Less is mainly an adverb (the solution was less than ideal), can be used as a preposition meaning minus or without. My profit was twenty dollars, less the sales tax.
Smaller in number
- smallerOf reduced magnitude
- reducedMade less in amount
- diminishedMade or became smaller
- decreasedBecame smaller in amount
minimal · limited · lower · minor · shortened · curtailed · condensed · contracted
Being without something
- insufficientBelow required quantity
- inadequateNot sufficient for purpose
- deficientHaving too little
- wantingAbsent or insufficient
shortage · scarcity · dearth · paucity · meager · sparse · skimpy · incomplete
Of lower rank
- worseMore unfavorable than before
- substandardBelow required quality
- mediocreOf only moderate quality
- second-rateBelow acceptable standards
subpar · low-grade · suboptimal · poor · weaker · degraded · compromised · unsatisfactory
fewer
Smaller in number
- smallerOf reduced magnitude
- reducedMade less in amount
- diminishedMade or became smaller
decreased · minimal · limited · lower · minor · shortened · curtailed · condensed · contracted · abbreviated
lacking
Being without something
- insufficientBelow required quantity
- inadequateNot sufficient for purpose
- deficientHaving too little
wanting · shortage · scarcity · dearth · paucity · meager · sparse · skimpy · incomplete · scarce
inferior
Of lower rank
- worseMore unfavorable than before
- substandardBelow required quality
- mediocreOf only moderate quality
second-rate · subpar · low-grade · suboptimal · poor · weaker · degraded · compromised · unsatisfactory · diminished
understated
Deliberately minimized in expression
- mutedMade quieter or softer
- subduedReduced in intensity
- restrainedHeld under control
subtle · modest · quiet · toned-down · softer · gentler · milder · lighter · fainter · delicate
markdown
Reduction in retail price
savings · deal · cutback · rebate · economy · slashed · cut-rate · discounted · promotional · wholesale
- Early Mathcounting, numbers, addition, subtraction, zero
- Basic English Wordswho, what, when, where, why
- adverbsquickly, slowly, very, really, now
- comparisoncomparative, contrast, superlative, matching, positive
- quantitiessome, many, few, amount, several
- rankingsrankings, first, college rankings, second, third
- less thanBelow in amount
- more or lessApproximately, not exactly
- couldn't care lessComplete absence of concern
- could not care lessTotal absence of interest
- less and lessIn diminishing amounts
- much lessPhrase introducing unlikelier thing
lesson, useless, endless, hopeless, harmless, unless, helpless, fearless, spotless