but less better

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "but less better" is not correct in English and does not convey a clear meaning.
It seems to be an attempt to compare two things, but the construction is grammatically incorrect and confusing. Example: "This option is cheaper, but less better than the previous one."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

But less is better than nothing.

Huffington Post

Here, boys do a lot better at maths than girls but less better than they used to, as the researchers discovered.In the early 1980s, the ratio of males to females in the top 0.01% of maths scores in SAT, the Scholastic Aptitude Test, was around 13 to 1.

The Economist

When the recall is increased, the precision will generally decrease, but less so for better similarity measures.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

"The maximum amount of screen time should be two hours a day, but less is always better," Posner says.

Huffington Post

The wine would be better but less plentiful.

The New York Times

The goose was better, but less succulent than the one Syrnikov had made the day before.

The New Yorker

A better, but less popular measure is the expected shortfall the average loss incurred if things do indeed go bad.

The Economist

"I will say something which is crazy, but less democracy is sometimes better for organising a World Cup," he said.

The Guardian - Sport

More is always better, but less is a good place to start".

BBC

Not better, but less worse".

Vice

> A better, but less often available approach is to link up with hospital records via regional/national hospital registry databases.

Annals of Oncology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "but less better" in formal writing. Instead, opt for grammatically correct alternatives like "but not as good" or "but somewhat worse".

Common error

The phrase "but less better" contains a double comparative (less and better), which is generally considered incorrect in standard English. Replace it with a single comparative adjective or a different construction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "but less better" functions as a comparative conjunction, attempting to express that one thing is not as good as another. However, Ludwig AI identifies this construction as grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "but less better" is grammatically incorrect and not recommended for use in standard English. As Ludwig AI points out, it represents a double comparative, which is considered an error. While the intent is to express a nuanced comparison of inferiority, this is better achieved using grammatically correct alternatives like "but not as good" or "but somewhat worse". Due to its incorrect nature, this phrase is absent from authoritative sources and should be avoided in both formal and informal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

but not as good

Replaces the grammatically incorrect "less better" with a standard comparative form.

but somewhat worse

Substitutes "less better" with a more explicit and correct comparison of inferiority.

but slightly inferior

Replaces the original phrase with a more formal and accurate expression of inferiority.

but a bit worse

Offers a more casual and grammatically sound way to express the same idea.

but not quite as effective

Focuses on effectiveness to convey the reduced quality or performance.

but to a lesser extent better

Formally expresses the idea that the improvement is smaller than expected.

but substandard

Replaces the comparative structure with a direct statement of being below standard.

but deficient

Indicates a lack of quality compared to an implicit standard.

but impaired

Suggests that the quality is reduced or damaged.

but compromised

Highlights that the quality is diminished due to some form of trade-off or negative impact.

FAQs

What does "but less better" mean?

The phrase "but less better" is not standard English. It attempts to convey that something is not as good as something else, but it's grammatically incorrect.

How can I correct the phrase "but less better" in a sentence?

Replace "but less better" with alternatives like "but not as good", "but somewhat worse", or "but slightly inferior".

Is it ever appropriate to use "but less better"?

No, the phrase "but less better" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in both formal and informal writing.

What are some formal alternatives to "but less better"?

For more formal alternatives, consider using phrases like "but slightly inferior" or "but to a lesser extent better" to convey the intended meaning more accurately.