less better than

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'less better than' is not correct in written English.
You can use phrases such as "not as good as" or "worse than" to compare two things. Example: My chocolate chip cookies are not as good as my grandmother's.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

There is no convincing evidence that proton beam therapy is as good as -- much less better than -- cheaper types of radiation for any one of these cancers.

The New York Times

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

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

It's a Tokai, which is almost a Fender, but there was a big fight between the Japanese corporations making copies of Fenders and Gibsons, but they were actually making them more or less better [than the originals].

Huffington Post

Having people notice you talking to someone less and less is better than having them notice seeing you ignore your cousin, right?

WikiHow

I am not one of those miserable over-achieving types who are satisfied with nothing less than better-than-everyone-else. Really.

TechCrunch

Less is better than more".

The New York Times - Arts

Less is better than more, because of "the ineptitude of this social form," he said.

The New York Times

Nevertheless, there are few if any local dessert lists, priced at $6 and less, any better than this one.

The New York Times

It's something that I have to constantly remind myself of — that saying less is better than saying more.

The New Yorker

"Doing less is better than doing harm," wrote Bronwyn E. Bruton in a special report for the Council on Foreign Relations, who is the driving force behind this new theory.

The New York Times

But less is better than nothing.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using double comparatives like "less better than". Opt for grammatically correct alternatives such as "not as good as" or "worse than" for clear and effective communication.

Common error

Don't combine "less" with another comparative adjective. Instead of saying "less better", choose either "less good" or "better" and structure your sentence accordingly.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "less better than" is an attempt to form a comparative, but it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI confirms this issue. The intended function is to compare two entities, indicating one is of lower quality or desirability than the other.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Science

34%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "less better than" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal writing. As Ludwig AI highlights, it's better to use alternatives like "not as good as" or "worse than" to clearly and correctly convey the intended comparison. While it appears rarely across diverse source types like News, Wiki, and Science, its incorrectness undermines its effectiveness and suitability for professional communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not as good as

Replaces the double comparative with a standard comparative structure using "as...as".

worse than

Provides a direct and grammatically correct comparative, indicating a lower quality or condition.

not as effective as

Specifies the aspect of comparison, focusing on effectiveness.

inferior to

Offers a formal alternative, indicating a lower rank or quality.

not quite as impressive as

Adds a nuance of subjective evaluation to the comparison.

falls short of

Suggests that something does not meet a certain standard.

doesn't measure up to

Emphasizes the inadequacy of something in comparison to another.

less satisfactory than

Highlights that something is not as satisfying as another option.

outperformed by

Focuses on the better performance of something else.

eclipsed by

Indicates that something is overshadowed by another.

FAQs

What's a better way to say "less better than"?

The phrase "less better than" is grammatically incorrect. You can use phrases like "not as good as" or "worse than" to express a similar comparison.

Is "less better" grammatically correct?

No, "less better" is not grammatically correct. The correct way to form a comparative is to use either "less" with the positive form of the adjective (e.g., "less good") or use the comparative form of the adjective (e.g., "better"). Mixing them creates a double comparative, which is incorrect.

How can I use "worse than" in a sentence?

You can use "worse than" to compare two things where one is of lower quality or less desirable. For example, "His performance was worse than expected."

What's the difference between "less good than" and "not as good as"?

"Less good than" and "not as good as" are both grammatically correct ways to express that something is inferior. While "not as good as" is more common and natural-sounding, "less good than" is technically correct but less frequently used.