1
: greatest in quantity, extent, or degree
the most ability
2
: the majority of
most people
1
: to the greatest or highest degree
—often used with an adjective or adverb to form the superlative
the most challenging job he ever had
2
: to a very great degree
was most persuasive
: the greatest amount
it's the most I can do
singular or plural in construction
: the greatest number or part
most become discouraged and quit
: almost
we'll be crossing the river most any time now—
Hamilton Basso
Hamilton Basso
Can most be used in place of almost?: Usage Guide
Although considered by some to be unacceptable in all cases, most is often used to mean "almost" in both spoken and, to a lesser extent, written English to modify the adjectives all, every, and any; the pronouns all, everyone, everything, everybody, anyone, anything, and anybody; and the adverbs everywhere, anywhere, and always. Other uses of this sense of most are dialectal.
: most
innermost
: most toward
headmost
Examples of most in a Sentence
Adjective
Choosing a color took the most time.
That family owned the most land.
Unfortunately the negative aspects of our schools get the most attention.
Adverb (1)
a most careful driver, especially in bad weather
Noun
this room will accommodate 50 people at the most
Adverb (2)
the cost of most everything is higher nowadays
Recent Examples on the Web
Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2025
About the only surprise Friday night in the championship game of the Boras Classic South was La Mirada preventing Corona from tying a state record for most consecutive shutouts.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
The film that, to me, in its most unflinching way, describes the Third Reich, the Holocaust, and the concentration camps.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for most
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Adjective
Legal scholars have said there is little legal precedent for Trump's war on Big Law, which has created a chilling effect across the legal community, and most will certainly have a chilling effect on his opponents who will need legal representation against him.
—Alexander Mallin, ABC News, 29 Mar. 2025
About the only surprise Friday night in the championship game of the Boras Classic South was La Mirada preventing Corona from tying a state record for most consecutive shutouts.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
Adverb
Gray wolves are habitat generalists, but are most commonly found in areas with plentiful deer and elk populations.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
The film that, to me, in its most unflinching way, describes the Third Reich, the Holocaust, and the concentration camps.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for most
Cite this Entry
“Most.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/most. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
most
1 of 5 adjective1
: the majority of
most people believe this
2
: greatest in amount or extent
the most ability
most
2 of 5 adverb1
: to the greatest or highest level or extent
—often used with an adjective or adverb to form the superlative
most active
most actively
2
: to a very great extent
a most careful driver
most
3 of 5 noun
: the greatest amount, number, or part
most
4 of 5 adverb
: almost
the cost of most everything is higher
-most
5 of 5 adjective suffixˌmōst
: most
innermost
Etymology
Adjective suffix
Middle English -most "most"
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