The Opposite of More

Ask anyone what the opposite of “more” is and nearly everyone will reply, “Less.” But some bozo will invariably say, “Uhh… creamed corn?”

Most respondents would be correct… a lot of the time. But sometimes (more often than you’d think, actually) the answer is “fewer.”

What’s the difference? Both terms are used to denote quantities of something. But you’d use less when you’re referencing something that is measured, and fewer when speaking (or writing) about something that would get counted.

How do I know when to use which one? The rule is generally simple: If it gets measured in volume, weight or depth, use less. If it can be sorted or counted, use fewer.

Take, for example, coffee. You wouldn’t say, “The waitress gave me fewer coffee than she gave you,” because that would be silly. Besides, other patrons in the diner would snicker at you from behind their coffee mugs – and with excellent reason. Instead, you’d say, “The waitress gave me less coffee than she gave you.” Why? Because coffee, being a liquid, gets measured.

Likewise, you shouldn’t say, “We have less nails than I remember in that old coffee can in the garage”; rather, you should say, “We have fewer nails than I remember in that old coffee can in the garage.” Why? Because nails, being individual items, get counted.

Some other things that get measured (and for which you would use “less”) are snow, blood, rainfall, ink, water, cat litter, asphalt, rice, toner, heat, chocolate, gravel, beer and soda).

Countable items (for which you’d use “fewer”) include string beans, words, marbles, almonds, Hershey’s Kisses, crayons, T-shirts, bowling balls and cats.

Then again, we have the confusing things that are measurable when singular and countable when plural… things like candy vs. candies – once the kids raid your Halloween stash, you would have fewer individual candies and less candy overall.

Same goes for beer as opposed to bottles of beer. You might have less beer in your stein, but you’d have fewer bottles of beer in the fridge after your friends visit. The difference there is that with the latter example, what’s actually countable is the bottles, not the beer.

Confusing? It doesn’t have to be. Next time you find yourself pondering which opposite of more you should use, ask yourself, “Does this get counted? Or measured?” Then proceed accordingly. Oh, and consider putting a lock on that fridge.

About the Author:
Rita M. Reali is an international award-winning author and longtime editor who most enjoys editing memoir, general fiction and romance, along with inspirational writing. She’s self-published five novels: Glimpse of Emerald, Diagnosis: Love, The Unintended Hero, Second Chances and Tender Mercies – the first five in the seven-volume Sheldon Family Saga. The sixth novel in the series, Brothers by Betrayal, is scheduled for an early 2024 release. Her first children’s book, The Purringest Kitty Finds His Home, is due out before Christmas. As a former disc jockey in her native Connecticut, Rita used to spend her days “talking to people who weren’t there” – a skill which transferred perfectly to her being an author. Now she talks to characters who aren’t there on “a little chunk of heaven in rural Tennessee.” Contact Rita.