"less and less"是英语中比较级的重叠结构,表示数量、程度或频率“逐渐减少”“越来越少”,或性质、状态“越来越不……”。
"less"本身是形容词/副词little的比较级,因此"less and less"的用法需结合其修饰的对象(名词、形容词、副词)来区分:
直接放在不可数名词前,强调“数量逐渐减少”。
例句:
There is less and less water in the lake due to drought.(由于干旱,湖里的水越来越少。)
Young people have less and less patience for long books.(年轻人对长篇书籍的耐心越来越少。)
用于形容词或副词的原级前,强调“性质/状态逐渐减弱”。
修饰形容词(多描述事物的属性):
The party became less and less interesting after midnight.(午夜后,派对越来越没意思了。)
She’s getting less and less worried about the exam.(她对考试越来越不担心了。)
修饰副词(多描述动作的方式/频率):
He drives less and less carefully when he’s tired.(他累的时候开车越来越不小心。)
We meet less and less often since she moved away.(她搬走后,我们见面越来越少。)
若上下文已提示所指对象,"less and less"可单独使用,避免重复。
例句:
A: Do you still drink coffee?(你还喝咖啡吗?)
B: Less and less.(越来越少了。)
He cares about others less and less as he grows older.(他年纪越大,越不关心别人。)
两者均表“越来越少”,但修饰对象不同:
"less and less" → 修饰不可数名词或形容词/副词;
"fewer and fewer" → 修饰可数名词复数(因"fewer"是"few"的比较级,仅用于可数)。
对比例句:
Less and less time(越来越少的时间,不可数) vs Fewer and fewer friends(越来越少的朋友,可数复数)。
less and less likely(越来越不可能):It’s getting less and less likely that we’ll win the game.(我们赢比赛的可能性越来越小。)
less and less often(越来越少发生):I go to the gym less and less often these days.(我最近去健身房的次数越来越少。)
总结:"less and less"是表达“逐渐减少”的高频短语,核心是结合修饰对象(不可数名词/形容词/副词)使用,需注意与"fewer and fewer"的区分。