基本意思是“差不多”“或多或少”、“在一定程度上”、“大体上、大致上”、“大约、大概”，“在……左右（上下）”，“多多少少”，“基本（上）”等。用以描述数量或程度的模糊数字；或用来描述事物的近似状态等；可以修饰不定代词，形容词，副词，动词，介词短语等。如：
1. 用以描述数量或程度的模糊数字
How much will it cost, more or less?
这个大概得花多少钱？
I've read more or less ten books this month.
我这个月大概读了十本书。
The book is more or less 300 pages long.
书大致有 300页。
The journey will take more or less 2 hours.
这段旅程大致需要2个小时。
We'll arrive at the airport in more or less two hours.
我们大概两小时后到达机场。
The temperature will be around 30 degrees Celsius, more or less.
温度将在30度左右。
There were more or less 50 people at the party.
聚会上大致有50人左右。
The job is more or less finished. 工作大体上完成了。
His condition has more or less improved. 他的情况多少有些改进。
The repairs will cost $50,more or less. 修理费大约要50美元。
I was meeting these chaps who were mostly more or less my own age.
我见到了这帮小伙子，他们多数和我年龄相仿。
2. 用来描述事物的近似状态，如：
The Conference is more or less over
会议快结束了。
I'm more or less sure about the answer.
我对这个答案大体上有把握。
The polluted water more or less influences their health.
被污染的水或多或少地影响他们的健康。
The new model is more or less the same as the old one.
新模型和旧的大体上差不多。
The plan is more or less what we discussed.
这个计划大体上是我们讨论的内容。
We were more or less in agreement on the final compensation figure.
我们在最终赔偿金额的问题上达成共识。
（如果换成 almost 或者 nearly，在句型表达上均可，但是在意思上会有不同。这里用 more or less 就是“基本上没问题了”，如果用 almost 或 nearly 给人的感觉是“还差一点”，接下来还会有更多的协商。）
Everybody felt more or less thirsty.
大家都感到有些渴。
They've had their revenge more or less.
他们总算出口气了。
I suspect that he is more or less involved in the affair.
我猜他和这件事有点牵连。
It more or less gets the thumbs up from everyone.
它多多少少得到了每个人的支持。
The officers were more or less able to dictate terms to successive governments
这些军官多多少少都能和继任的各届政府谈些条件。
The author can report other people's results which more or less agree with hers.
作者可以提及其他人得出的和她自己基本吻合的结果。
He more or less started the firm
他基本上启动了公司的业务。
The contents are more or less the same.
内容相仿佛。
Production is more or less at a standstill.
生产几乎处于停顿状态。
The fine they gave her is just more or less a slap on the wrist.
他们对她开出的罚金不过是一个轻微的警告而已。
They swayed back and forth, more or less in sync with the music.
他们来回摇摆，基本上与音乐同步。
These food markets have more or less the same setup.
几个菜市场的格局差不多。
We decided, more or less on a whim, to sail to Morocco
我们多少有点心血来潮，决定航海去摩洛哥。
She started off by accusing him of blackmail but he more or less ignored her
她先是指控他勒索，但他几乎不理睬她。
He more or less railroaded the rest of Europe into recognising the new 'independent' states
他几乎是迫使着其他欧洲国家承认了那些新兴的“独立”国家。
The cattle disease occurs more or less anywhere in Africa where the fly occurs
在非洲凡是有这种蝇虫的地方，几乎都会出现这一牛病。
3.注：在否定句中可表示“一点也不”。如：
I didn't understand it, more or less. 我一点也不懂。
4. more or less最原始含义是：多一点还是少一点，如：
Do you want more or less sugar in your coffee?
你的咖啡要多加糖还是少加糖？
Would you like your steak cooked more or less?
你的牛排要多熟点还是少熟点？
Do you prefer more or less spicy food?
你喜欢辣的还是不辣的美食？