less than ten
Under a dozen
A quantity smaller than ten, often used to describe modest amounts or limited numbers: Less than ten people showed up.
The phrase appears in contexts ranging from casual estimation to precise thresholds: The whole trip takes less than ten minutes.
Some style guides insist on "fewer than ten" for countable items, but "less than" dominates in everyday speech regardless.
- fewSmall in number
- handfulAmount a palm holds
- singleOne in number
- digitsSingle-place numerals
- on one handIntroducing first consideration
a handful of · one hand · under · below · scarce · few and far between · small · number · nine · eight · seven · counting · fingers · shortage · short supply · running low · limited · minimal