Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.
Proto-Germanic *maiz
Proto-Germanic *maistaz
Proto-Germanic *maist
Proto-West Germanic *maist
Old English mǣst
Middle English most
English most
From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist (“most”), Saterland Frisian maast (“most”), West Frisian meast (“most”), Dutch meest (“most”), German meist (“most”), Danish and Swedish mest (“most”), Icelandic mestur (“most”).
Meanings
(dated, not-comparable, slang) The greatest; the best.
PATTY:They announced this year's nominees for student council. And guess who's up for vice-president? Me! Isn't that the most to say the least? 1978 September 14, Jim Jacobs, Warren Casey, Bronte Woodard, directed by Randal Kleiser, Grease (film), spoken by Patty Simcox (Susan Buckner):
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.
Proto-Germanic *maiz
Proto-Germanic *maistaz
Proto-Germanic *maist
Proto-West Germanic *maist
Old English mǣst
Middle English most
English most
From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist (“most”), Saterland Frisian maast (“most”), West Frisian meast (“most”), Dutch meest (“most”), German meist (“most”), Danish and Swedish mest (“most”), Icelandic mestur (“most”).
Meanings
(not-comparable) Forms the superlative of many adjectives.
With some of it on the south and more of it on the north of the great main thoroughfare that connects Aldgate and the East India Docks, St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 77:
“[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes[…]. And then, when you see [the senders], you probably find that they are the most melancholy old folk with malignant diseases. […]” 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
Much the most common verb in complex-intransitive clauses is be.
Correctness is most important.
This is the most important example.
(not-comparable, proscribed) Forms the superlative of many adjectives. ▸ With a superlative adjective ending in -est.
the most tallest building in the world
(not-comparable) To a great extent or degree; highly; very.
Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a most strange, as for me it was a most fortunate, thing. 1895 May 29, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “The Palace of Green Porcelain”, in The Time Machine: An Invention, London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, pages 114–115:
A noble craft, but somehow a most melancholy! 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Ship”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 77:
This is a most unusual specimen.
“His song is most unpleasant,” said the King rubbing his head, “pray bid him cease,” and off went the secretary to argue with the wind. 1922, Ruth Plumly Thompson, “The Last Giant”, in The Princess of Cozytown, P. F. Volland, page 80:
Most cruel edict! Sure, thy generous soul, Septimius, abhors the dreadful task of persecution. 1750, “Theodora”, Thomas Morell (lyrics), George Frideric Handel (music):
(form-of, not-comparable, superlative) superlative degree of much
Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art. Perhaps it is fitting that economists’ most-used metric, gross domestic product (GDP), is a tangle too. 2013 August 3, “Boundary Problems”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
sv högst (highly) · ar اَلـ (forming the superlative) · tyv эң (forming the superlative) · la maximē (highly) · fr très (highly) · es el/la/lo más (forming the superlative) · hy ամենա- (forming the superlative) · yue 最 (forming the superlative) · fi tosi (highly) · mk нај- (forming the superlative) · pt extremamente (highly) · ru наибо́лее (highly) · ru -е́йший (forming the superlative) · kum инг (forming the superlative) · vi ... nhất (forming the superlative) · bg изключително (highly) · alt эҥ (forming the superlative) · hy շատ (highly) · sh нај- (forming the superlative) · hy -գույն (forming the superlative) · ru са́мый (forming the superlative) · kjh иң (forming the superlative) · nb veldig (highly) · nan-hbl 一度 (forming the superlative) · he הכי (forming the superlative) · la per- (highly) · da -st (forming the superlative) · ar جِدًّا (highly) · ru наибо́лее (forming the superlative) · tr en (forming the superlative) · fr extrêmement (highly) · pt -íssimo (highly) · da mest (forming the superlative) · hu rendkívül (highly) · pt muito (highly) · ur سب سے (forming the superlative) · cs nejvíce (forming the superlative) · nb høyst (highly) · kim эӈ (forming the superlative) · it il più (forming the superlative) · ja 一番 (forming the superlative) · mhr эн (forming the superlative) · km ជាងគេ (forming the superlative) · cmn 最 (forming the superlative) · sk naj- (forming the superlative) · be найбо́льш (forming the superlative) · de -ste (forming the superlative) · sl nàjbolj (forming the superlative) · kk ең (forming the superlative) · ja 最も (forming the superlative) · uk най- (forming the superlative) · fi äärimmäisen (highly) · da -est (forming the superlative) · ja 最 (forming the superlative) · ko 제일 (forming the superlative) · sl naj- (forming the superlative) · kdr ėnk (forming the superlative) · bg най- (forming the superlative) · sv mest (forming the superlative) · ca el/la/els/les més (forming the superlative) · de am ...-sten (forming the superlative) · la plurime (forming the superlative) · nl meest (forming the superlative) · pl naj- (forming the superlative) · ml ഏറ്റവും (highly) · be най- (forming the superlative) · uz eng (forming the superlative) · sh naj- (forming the superlative) · de -ster (forming the superlative) · nb mest (forming the superlative) · nl -st (forming the superlative) · ko 가장 (forming the superlative) · fr le plus (forming the superlative) · cmn 至 (highly) · fi todella (highly) · kjh инъ (forming the superlative) · uk найбі́льш (forming the superlative) · nn mest (forming the superlative) · dng цзуй (forming the superlative) · ug ئەڭ (forming the superlative) · eo plej (forming the superlative) · hi सबसे (forming the superlative) · ko 최(最)- (forming the superlative) · hu igen (highly) · sco maist (forming the superlative) · th ...ที่สุด (forming the superlative) · kl -nerpaaq (forming the superlative) · nl -ste (forming the superlative) · ky эң (forming the superlative) · eo tre (highly) · fr les plus (forming the superlative) · tl pinaka- (forming the superlative) · bg пре- (highly) · lo ...ທີ່ສຸດ (forming the superlative) · hu leg- -bb (forming the superlative) · krc эм (forming the superlative) · la -issime (forming the superlative) · ru пре- (highly) · nb meget (highly) · io maxim (forming the superlative) · sco maist (highly) · et kõige (forming the superlative) · pt o/a/os/as mais (forming the superlative) · ru са́мый (highly) · fr la plus (forming the superlative) · uum эн (forming the superlative) · kaa eng (forming the superlative) · hu módfelett (highly) · cs nej- (forming the superlative) · ru наи- (forming the superlative) · cjs эң (forming the superlative) · kmr herî (forming the superlative) · lus ber (forming the superlative) · kmr -tirîn (forming the superlative) · hi सब से (forming the superlative) · ka ყველაზე (forming the superlative) · fi erittäin (highly)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.
Proto-Germanic *maiz
Proto-Germanic *maistaz
Proto-Germanic *maist
Proto-West Germanic *maist
Old English mǣst
Middle English most
English most
From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist (“most”), Saterland Frisian maast (“most”), West Frisian meast (“most”), Dutch meest (“most”), German meist (“most”), Danish and Swedish mest (“most”), Icelandic mestur (“most”).
Meanings
(form-of, superlative) superlative degree of much.
vi hầu hết (majority of) · bg повечето (majority of) · kmr piranî (superlative of much) · hu leginkább (superlative of much) · uk найбі́льше (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · fr la plupart de (majority of) · nn de fleste (majority of) · pl najwięcej (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · pt maioria (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · bg най-много (superlative of much) · vi đa số (majority of) · es muchos (majority of) · ja 最も (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · cmn 大部分 (majority of) · cs většina (majority of) · ru бо́льше всего́ (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · fi useimmat (majority of) · pt mais (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · nn flest (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · et enamik (majority of) · nb flest (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · th ส่วนมาก (majority of) · de die meisten (majority of) · sco maist (superlative of much) · bg най-много (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · ru бо́льше всего́ (superlative of much) · yi מערסטע (majority of) · hy ամենաշատ (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · kmr piranî (majority of) · arz معظم (majority of) · chr ᎤᎪᏗᏗ (majority of) · ru большинство́ (majority of) · pt maioria (superlative of much) · ko 가장 많은 (majority of) · hi सबसे अधिक (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · pl większość (majority of) · ckb زۆربە (majority of) · it di più (majority of) · fi suurin osa (majority of) · ka უმეტესობა (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · th ส่วนใหญ่ (majority of) · sv mest (superlative of much) · hu legtöbb (majority of) · uk бі́льшість (majority of) · grc πλεῖστος (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · es la mayoría de (majority of) · fr la majeure partie de (majority of) · sco maist (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · sv de flesta (majority of) · nn mest (superlative of much) · az ən (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · gl maioría (majority of) · hi सर्वाधिक (majority of) · si වඩා (majority of) · fi enemmistö (majority of) · yue 多數 /多数 (majority of) · kmr piranî (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · ar أَغْلَب (majority of) · hy մեծամասնություն (majority of) · pl najwięcej (superlative of much) · pt mais (superlative of much) · sv flertalet (majority of) · fi eniten (superlative of much) · cmn 最多 (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · sh većina (majority of) · zza vêşi (diq) (majority of) · ja 大部分 (majority of) · ar مُعْظَم (majority of) · fi eniten (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · ba күпселек (majority of) · az çoxusu (majority of) · ka ყველაზე მეტი (superlative of much) · la plurimum (superlative of much) · nb mest (superlative of much) · pt maioria (majority of) · la plurimus (superlative of much) · sv flest (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · yi ס׳רובֿ (majority of) · got 𐌼𐌰𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (majority of) · sk väčšina (majority of) · hy ամենաշատ (superlative of much) · la plūrimus (majority of) · bg голяма част от (majority of) · sl večina (majority of) · grc μάλιστα (superlative of much) · fi useimmat (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · ro cei mai mulți dintre (majority of) · ka უმეტესი (majority of) · he רוב (majority of) · nb de fleste (majority of) · ajp معظم (majority of) · ar أَكْثَر (majority of) · la plurimus (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · hu legjobban (superlative of much) · ka უმეტესობა (majority of) · tr çoğu (superlative of much) · it la maggioranza di (majority of) · nl meeste (majority of) · ja 一番たくさん (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of) · sco maist (majority of) · hi अधिकतम (superlative of many: comparatively largest number of)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.
Proto-Germanic *maiz
Proto-Germanic *maistaz
Proto-Germanic *maist
Proto-West Germanic *maist
Old English mǣst
Middle English most
English most
From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist (“most”), Saterland Frisian maast (“most”), West Frisian meast (“most”), Dutch meest (“most”), German meist (“most”), Danish and Swedish mest (“most”), Icelandic mestur (“most”).
Meanings
(uncountable, usually) The greatest amount.
The most I can offer for the house is $150,000.
(countable, uncountable, usually) The greater part.
Most of the penguins were friendly and curious.
The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen.[…]The second note, the high alarum, not so familiar and always important since it indicates the paramount sin in Man's private calendar, took most of them by surprise although they had been well prepared. 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:
Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys. 2013 August 16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8:
Most of the rice was spoiled.
At half-past nine on this Saturday evening the parlor of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors.[…]In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for the select circle—a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening for a pipe and a cheerful glass. 1892, Walter Besant, “The Select Circle”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 46:
(countable, usually) A record-setting amount.
Along with their massive size will come other “mosts”: they will likely be the longest living, the best educated, the wealthiest and the most wired/ wireless. 2001, George Barna, Real Teens: A Contemporary Snapshot of Youth Culture, →ISBN, page 15:
The record of Elvis' achievement is truly remarkable; his list of “firsts” and “mosts” is probably without parallel in music and entertainment history. 2007, Joe Moscheo, The Gospel Side of Elvis, →ISBN:
Virginia had a number of "mosts” that made it appealing, if not representative of all Confederate states: the most citizens among the Southern states; the most slaves; the most men under arms; the most famous Southern generals; the most fighting within its borders; the most divided by the war (what other Southern state lost a quarter of its territory and saw a new state created out of that former territory?); and the most damaged by the war. 2002, John Gregory Selby, Virginians at War: The Civil War Experiences of Seven Young Confederates, →ISBN, page xvii:
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
moste
alternative, obsolete
lexicographic
mosts
Number=Plur
lexicographic
Translations (5)
bg най-много (The greatest number, majority) · fi suurin osa (The greatest number, majority) · eo plejparto (The greatest number, majority) · fi enemmistö (The greatest number, majority) · mi nuinga (The greatest number, majority)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.
Proto-Germanic *maiz
Proto-Germanic *maistaz
Proto-Germanic *maist
Proto-West Germanic *maist
Old English mǣst
Middle English most
English most
From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist (“most”), Saterland Frisian maast (“most”), West Frisian meast (“most”), Dutch meest (“most”), German meist (“most”), Danish and Swedish mest (“most”), Icelandic mestur (“most”).
Meanings
The greater part of a group, especially a group of people.
The peach was juicier and more flavourful than most.
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?
Proto-Indo-European *h₂elnós
Proto-Germanic *allaz
Proto-Germanic *ala-
Proto-West Germanic *ala-
Old English æl-
Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der.
Proto-Germanic *maiz
Proto-Germanic *maistaz
Proto-Germanic *maist
Proto-West Germanic *maist
Old English mǣst
Old English eallmǣst
Middle English almost
English almostclip.
English most
Clipping of almost.
Meanings
(US, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal, not-comparable) Clipping of almost.
Random illustration: A well-daiquiried redhead eyed him from across the room at Jilly’s one night in 1963 — although it could have been most any night ever —[…] 1997, Bill Zehme, The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’, →ISBN, page 142; republished Thorndike, Maine: Thorndike Press, 1998, →ISBN, page 181:
“Can't be all that bad if Luke likes it. Most everywhere has air-conditioning, he says.” 2011, Charlotte Maclay, Wanted: A Dad to Brag About, →ISBN:
"We walked there most every day after school." 2000, Jewish Baltimore: A Family Album, →ISBN, page 159: