less is more

UK/lɛs ɪz ˈmɔː/US/lɛs ɪz ˈmɔɹ/

proverb

That which is of smaller quantity could be of higher quality.

Similar
a little goes a long way
Opposite
less is a boremore is more
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proverb
  1. paradoxThat which is of smaller quantity could be of higher quality.
  2. That which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.

    Well, less is more, Lucrezia: I am judged.

    1855, Robert Browning, "Andrea del Sarto" poem in Men and Women collection
    2 more examples

    The essence of Mies's architectural philosophy is in his famous and sometimes derided phrase, "Less is more." This means, he says, having "the greatest effect with the least means."

    1954 June 14, “‘Less Is More’”, in Time

    The program, which features two premieres—"Songs," a solo, and "The Pleasure of Stillness," a quartet—is founded on the notion that less is more.

    2007 March 3, Gia Kourlas, “Dance Review: An Ordered World Defined With Soothing Spareness”, in New York Times, retrieved 22 Oct 2008

    Synonyms: a little goes a long way

Synonyms & antonyms

proverbThat which is less complicated is often better understood and more appreciated than what is more complicated; brevity in communication is more effective than verbosity.

Similar
a little goes a long way
Opposite
less is a boremore is more

Translations

Ancient Greek οὐκ ἐν τῷ πολλῷ τὸ εὖ
  • οὐκ ἐν τῷ πολλῷ τὸ εὖ (ouk en tōî pollōî tò eû)less is more
Chinese Mandarin 少即是多, 物以稀为贵
  • 少即是多 (shǎojíshìduō)less is more
  • 物以稀为贵 (wùyǐxīwéiguì)less is more
Czech méně je více
  • méně je víceless is more
Dutch minder is meer
  • minder is meerless is more
Finnish vähemmän on enemmän
  • vähemmän on enemmänless is more
French moins, c’est plus
  • moins, c’est plusless is more
German weniger ist mehr
  • weniger ist mehrless is more
Greek ουκ εν τω πολλώ το ευ
  • ουκ εν τω πολλώ το ευ (ouk en to polló to ef)less is more
Hungarian a kevesebb több, a kevesebb néha több
  • a kevesebb többless is more
  • a kevesebb néha többless is more
Korean 적은 것이 더 많다
  • 적은 것이 더 많다 (jeogeun geosi deo manta)less is more
Persian هرچه کمتربهتر
  • هرچه کمتربهترless is more
Polish mniej znaczy więcej
  • mniej znaczy więcejless is more
Portuguese menos é mais
  • menos é maisless is more
Russian лу́чше ме́ньше, да лу́чше
  • лу́чше ме́ньше, да лу́чше (lúčše ménʹše, da lúčše)less is more
Spanish menos es más
  • menos es másless is more
Swedish less is more
  • less is moreless is more
Cite this entry
APA

less is more. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/less%20is%20more

MLA

“less is more.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/less%20is%20more. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “less is more,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/less%20is%20more.

Source: less is more on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.