than
∞
1.0
- adposition
- /ðæn/
:
que
- This task is easier than the last one we completed.
- more than
- rather than
- less than
There is nothing worse than a lukewarm want.
- There is nothing worse than a lukewarm want.
- You cannot go faster than the speed of light.
- He was much more like Yoda than a dad, you know.
- But we are getting more than just bare conclusions.
- I love that woman more than sharks love blood.
- And they said more than five years old.
- Otherwise it's worse than the blind leading the blind.
- Actually a lot cooler than I thought it would be.
- Say yes, much more than you say no.
- Let us do even more than think big.
- We are built to move far more than we truly do.
Examples
-
They gave me better results than this last week.
-
The timberline is about 1,000 feet lower than that on other mountains in New England.
Academic text (2011) -
You cannot go faster than the speed of light.
-
Your love is more than good, it's good.
-
Say yes, much more than you say no.
-
Something more important than this meeting?
-
Equipment from Russia is generally cheaper than that from the West, especially the United States.
Academic text (2011) -
But the extraordinary courage she showed more than 50 years ago continues to inspire the world.
Academic text (2011) -
Having a single repeatable process did more than improve the efficiency of a single plant.
Academic text (2011) -
Patricia is taller than her brother, who is quite short.
Idioms
- Baby Talk
∞
9.9
People use it jokingly and informally to say something is better than another
- Informal
14
4.6
A person with a very strong, exciting personality who attracts attention
- Informal
A joking remark to someone who stands in the way and blocks the view
Stopping a problem early is better than fixing it later
- Offensive
A person who has extra fat under the chin that makes several folds
- Offensive
A person who has many chins because they gained weight
- Informal
An attempt to fix a problem that makes things worse than before
- Informal
To fail very quickly and completely with no chance to get better
Compounds
- Specialized
1
5.9
An aircraft that floats because it is lighter than the air, like a balloon or airship
- Specialized
1
7.1
A flying machine like a plane that must use wings or rotors to lift itself up
- Informal
To say something is larger than another thing in a playful, not correct way
- Specialized
A machine like an airplane or helicopter that needs power to fly
Surface Forms
Etymology
Than comes from an old English word that is also the source of then, and it originally meant 'at that time'. So when you compare two things, than points to the second thing in the comparison.