a bit lesser

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a bit lesser" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "a bit less." Example: "I feel a bit less confident about my presentation today compared to yesterday."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Most of my holidays totems happen to be among the fairly well-known; however, my reasons for including them may be a bit lesser common.

Huffington Post

By combining biological knowledge with bioinformatics methods and creative thinking the authors propose that Archaea and to a bit lesser extent Bacteria posses an RNA-interference-based immune system involving CRISPR and cas genes, that is analogous the eukaryotic RNA interference systems.

Biology Direct

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"With respect to the intrastate service, we are providing much better service for people who live on the east end who are working in Stamford and to a little bit lesser extent in Greenwich".

The New York Times

But the point of opposing abortion is, of course, to remind women that they're a little bit lesser.

Vice

I don't just identify as poly, I identify as solo poly, which is a little bit lesser known... Solo poly is where instead of fully combining your life with someone else, you retain your sense of autonomy.

Vice

I identify as solo poly, which is a little bit lesser-known.

Vice

You can think of it as the Droid's younger, ganglier sister; it's a bit strange looking, a lesser camera (3 megapixels instead of 5), and Motorola's social-network-centric BLUR user interface.

TechCrunch

I left my search for the lesser evil a bit dejected.

Vice

This method is a bit costly than paint but lesser compared to purchasing new ones.

WikiHow

In season 3, she wears her hair a bit more mature and with lesser waves.

WikiHow

"Quality players look forward to the big games when the players of lesser quality get a bit anxious and think: 'Oh look who I'm playing against today'," said Allardyce.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "a bit lesser" in formal writing. Opt for grammatically correct alternatives like "a little less" or "slightly less" for clarity and professionalism.

Common error

The word "lesser" is an adjective that means smaller or of less importance. It's often misused in place of "less", which is used to indicate a smaller amount of something. Instead of saying something is "a bit lesser", say it is "a bit less".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a bit lesser" functions as a modifier, attempting to indicate a slight reduction in degree or extent. However, it is grammatically non-standard and often replaced by alternatives like "a bit less" or "slightly less". Ludwig AI has flagged this as incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a bit lesser" attempts to convey a slight reduction, it's considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI confirms this assessment. More appropriate alternatives include "a bit less" or "slightly less", which offer clearer and more standard expressions for indicating a minor degree of diminishment. Although "a bit lesser" appears in some news and scientific contexts, it's best reserved for informal settings, if used at all, and should generally be avoided in favor of grammatically sound options.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

slightly less

Replaces "a bit lesser" with a more standard and common expression to indicate a small reduction.

a little less

Substitutes "bit lesser" with "little less", providing a grammatically correct and very similar meaning.

somewhat reduced

Employs "somewhat reduced" to suggest a slight decrease, maintaining the intended meaning.

marginally smaller

Uses "marginally smaller" to denote a slight reduction in size or quantity.

slightly diminished

Replaces the phrase with "slightly diminished", indicating a minor decrease in quality or importance.

a shade under

Offers an idiomatic expression for being slightly below a certain level or standard.

not quite as much

Employs "not quite as much" to indicate a small difference in quantity or degree.

to a smaller degree

Replaces the phrase with a formal expression indicating something is happening in smaller quantity.

relatively reduced

Uses "relatively reduced" to indicate a decrease compared to something else.

a touch less

Expresses a slight decrease using the idiom "a touch less".

FAQs

Is "a bit lesser" grammatically correct?

No, "a bit lesser" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. The correct form is "a bit less". Ludwig AI identifies this usage as incorrect.

What's a better alternative to "a bit lesser"?

A more suitable alternative is "a little less", which is grammatically correct and widely accepted.

When should I use "lesser" instead of "less"?

"Lesser" should be used as an adjective to describe something of lower importance or smaller size (e.g., "a lesser evil"). "Less" is used to indicate a smaller quantity (e.g., "less sugar").

Are there situations where "a bit lesser" might be acceptable?

While not grammatically standard, "a bit lesser" might appear in informal contexts. However, it's best to use alternatives like "slightly smaller" or "somewhat reduced" for clarity and correctness.