less than

1. Not at all or hardly at all. For example, He had a less than favorable view of the matter, or She had a less than adequate grasp of the subject. This expression uses less in the sense of “a smaller quantity, number, or extent than is implied,” a usage dating from about a.d. 1000. The same sense appears in less than no time, a hyperbolic term for a very short time (as in Don't worry, he'll be here in less than no time) that dates from about 1800.

Example Sentences

Less than 30 seconds later, she returns clutching four bottles - one turquoise blue, the other three containing clear liquid in 10ml vials.

From BBC

But less than two months later, it announced that Lean Screen would be recalled after it returned inconsistent results across eight different sets of lab testing.

From BBC

So many other remedies exist for less than the price of a pretty good dinner out for two: Just leave your phone in the other room for a while!

From Slate

But less than a year after this filing, the company returned to court last month to declare bankruptcy once again, citing the loss of nearly $257 million between March and June.

From Los Angeles Times

Justin Bieber released the pink-jacketed “Swag II” early Friday morning, less than two months after he dropped its black-jacketed predecessor in mid-July.

From Los Angeles Times