much less

Idioms  

1. And certainly not, as in He rarely talks about his outside activities, much less his family. The earliest record of this idiom is in John Milton's Paradise Lost (1671): “The world thou hast not seen, much less her glory.”

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Example Sentences

It would be much less intrusive than taxing income, much less complicated, and it would be fairer.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

Despite these concerns, the real-estate industry has much less political leverage than it did in the pre-Mamdani days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

There’s an interesting proviso in the Allbirds–to–NewBird AI switchover that’s gotten much less public attention.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

"Astronauts are screened very meticulously before going to space but with commercial flights, these people are paying to go so the medical screening will likely be much less," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“And what I do remember is almost impossible to describe. It’s all much less clear than it was even a few months ago. I suppose I should have tried to write it down or something.”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt