most

1 of 6

adjective

ˈmōst 

1

: greatest in quantity, extent, or degree

the most ability

2

: the majority of

most people

most

2 of 6

adverb (1)

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

most

3 of 6

noun

: the greatest amount

it's the most I can do

most

4 of 6

pronoun

singular or plural in construction

: the greatest number or part

most become discouraged and quit

most

5 of 6

adverb (2)

: almost

we'll be crossing the river most any time now

—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

6 of 6

adjective suffix

: most

innermost

: most toward

headmost

Phrases

at most or at the most

: as an extreme limit

took him an hour at most

Synonyms

Adjective

• consummate
• last
• max
• maximum
• nth
• outside
• paramount
• supreme
• top
• ultimate
• utmost
• uttermost

Adverb (1)

• achingly
• almighty
• archly
• awful
• awfully
• badly
• beastly
• blisteringly
• bone
• colossally
• corking
• cracking
• damn
• damned
• dang
• deadly
• desperately
• eminently
• enormously
• especially
• ever
• exceedingly
• exceeding
• extra
• extremely
• fabulously
• fantastically
• far
• fiercely
• filthy
• frightfully
• full
• greatly
• heavily
• highly
• hugely
• immensely
• incredibly
• intensely
• jolly
• majorly
• mightily
• mighty
• monstrous [chiefly dialect]
• mortally
• much
• particularly
• passing
• rattling
• real
• really
• right
• roaring
• roaringly
• seriously
• severely
• so
• sore
• sorely
• spanking
• specially
• stinking
• such
• super
• supremely
• surpassingly
• terribly
• that
• thumping
• too
• unco
• uncommonly
• vastly
• very
• vitally
• way
• whacking
• wicked
• wildly

Noun

• max
• maximum
• outside

Adverb (2)

• about
• all but
• almost
• borderline
• fair [chiefly British]
• fairly
• feckly [chiefly Scottish]
• more or less
• much
• near
• nearly
• next to
• nigh
• practically
• somewhere
• virtually
• well-nigh

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

Adjective

Lastly, most clinics in Turkey provide VIP packages covering consultation and pre-op tests, the hair transplant procedure, hotel accommodation (usually 4–5 stars), transportation (airport to hotel and clinic), and post-operative care and follow-ups. —Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025

Hawk-Eye systems are already implemented at most professional tennis tournaments and have even led to the removal of human line judges in three of the sport’s four biggest tournaments. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 21 Feb. 2025

Adverb

The episode was written by Joe Sachs, an emergency physician himself who has spent the last few decades years going back and forth between medical work and penning scripts for TV dramas, most famously NBC’s groundbreaking Nineties smash ER. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2025

There are enough keepsakes in here to fill a most interesting lifetime, comprising an environment that could best be described as cozy. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb (1), Noun, and Pronoun

Middle English, from Old English mǣst; akin to Old High German meist most, Old English māra more — more at more

Adverb (2)

by shortening

Adjective suffix

Middle English, alteration of -mest (as in formest foremost)

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Pronoun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb (2)

circa 1538, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing most

• at most
• at the most
• for the most part
• make the most of
• most likely
• most of the time
• most times
• most valuable player
• the most

Kids Definition

most

1 of 5 adjective

ˈmōst 

1

: the majority of

most people believe this

2

: greatest in amount or extent

the most ability

most

2 of 5 adverb

1

: 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 suffix

ˌmōst

: most

innermost

Etymology

Adjective suffix

Middle English -most "most"