utmost en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (General-American) audio
- [ˈʌʔ-] (General-American)
- [ˈət-] (General-American)
- /ˈʌtmoʊ̯st/ (General-American)
- ŭt'mōst (General-American)
- /ˈʌtməst/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈʌtməʊ̯st/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
PIE word *úd From Middle English utmost, utemest [and other forms], from Old English ūtmest, ūtemest [and other forms], from ūt, ūte (“out; outdoors, outside”) + -mest (suffix meaning ‘furthest’, used to form superlatives of some adjectives) (and conflated with most). Ūt is derived from Proto-Germanic *ūt (“out, outward”), from Proto-Indo-European *úd (“out, outward”). Equivalent to out + -most.
Meanings
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(not-comparable) The most extreme; greatest, ultimate.
Ile go to him, and vndertake to bring him in peace, / Where he ſhall anſwer by a lawfull Forme, / (In peace) to his vtmoſt perill.
c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 17, column 1:the utmost harmony
Indeed at this very moment he's slipped away with the utmost cunning into a form that's most perplexing to investigate.
2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 236d:A contract of marine insurance is uberrimae fidel or, as enunciated in s 17 of the Marine Insurance Act, 'a contract based upon the utmost good faith'. [...] The obligations to disclose and to abstain from misrepresentations constitute the most significant manifestations of the duty to observe utmost good faith.
1999, Susan Hodges, Roy Carlile, “Utmost Good Faith, Disclosure and Representations”, in Cases and Materials on Marine Insurance Law, London: Cavendish Publishing, →ISBN, page 213:The wildest largest passions, bliss that is utmost, sorrow that is utmost become him well, pride is for him, / The full-spread pride of man is calming and excellent to the soul, [...]
1892, Walt Whitman, “Children of Adam: I Sing the Body Electric”, in Leaves of Grass […], Philadelphia, Pa.: David McKay, publisher, […], →OCLC, stanza 6, page 84:“Conquering the New World is indeed job number one. It is of the utmost importance. But is it as important as creating life?”
2024 October 21, Paul Simms, “The Return of Jerry” (22:41 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 6, episode 1, spoken by Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry):As these monographs and as these occasional exhibition catalogues on some handful of Canadian Impressionists started to appear, once again, I was surprised (to say it with the utmost respect) that they were aberrated, there was no timeline, there was no continuity.
2014 December 5, James Adams, “Group of who? A new book paints the fullest picture yet of Canada’s vision of Impressionism”, in The Globe and Mail, archived from the original on 10 Jan 2015:She was a lady adorned with many noble virtues: the utmoſt ſtrictneſs in her life and morals, eaſy and affable in her behaviour, and agreeably modeſt in her converſation.
1752, Jerome Osorio [i.e., Jerónimo Osório], “Book XI”, in James Gibbs, transl., The History of the Portuguese, during the Reign of Emmanuel: […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 239:Of course, everything was of utmost importance to Isabel Trent, Miriam thought with a sigh. Nevertheless she adopted her expression of utmost gravity as she replied, "Oh? I'm all ears."
2001, Elizabeth Bevarly, “The Temptation of Rory Monahan”, in Katherine Garbera, Elizabeth Bevarly, An Irresistible Temptation (Harlequin Man of the Month), Don Mills, Ont.: Harlequin Enterprises, published 2015, →ISBN, chapter 1, page 184:"Bah!" cried John Westlock, with the utmost disgust and disdain the monosyllable is capable of expressing.
1842 December – 1844 July, Charles Dickens, “Wherein Certain Persons are Presented to the Reader, with Whom He may, if He Please, Become Better Acquainted”, in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1844, →OCLC, page 16:The migrations of the Economic Rats, are not less extraordinary than those of the Lemmings. In the spring of the year they collect together in amazing numbers, and proceed in a course directly westward; swimming with the utmost intrepidity over rivers, lakes, and even arms of the sea.
1824, W[illiam] Bingley, Animal Biography, or, Popular Zoology; […], 6th edition, volumes II (Mammiferous Animals—Birds), London: […] C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington; …, →OCLC, pages 26–27:the utmost misery or happiness
the utmost assiduity
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(form-of, superlative) superlative form of utter: most utter; situated at the most distant limit; farthest, outermost.
form of utter
[T]he maſters, wardens, ſearchers, aſſiſtants and commonalty of the company of cutlers in Hallamſhire in the county of York, their ſucceſſors and aſſigns, are nominated and appointed undertakers of the ſaid navigation, with power to make the ſaid river navigable, at their own expence, from Holmſtile aforeſaid, up the ſaid river above Holmſtile to the utmoſt extent of Tinſley westward, [...]
1733, Danby Pickering, “Cap. IX. An Act to Explain and Amend Two Acts of Parliament, […], for Making Navigable the River Dun in the County of York, […]”, in The Statutes at Large, from the Second to the 9th Year of King George II. […], volume XVI, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Joseph Bentham, […]; for Charles Bathurst, […], published 1765, →OCLC, page 370:As yet we are far from having explored the utmost depths of space. Our telescopes have only reached a limited distance into the regions of the heavens.
1852 March, Professor Larrabee, “The Heavens”, in W. C. Larrabee, editor, The Ladies’ Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted to Literature and Religion, volume XII, Cincinnati, Oh.: L. Swormstedt and A. Poe; […], →OCLC, page 109, column 1:Betwixt two thieves I [Jesus] ſpend my utmoſt breath, / As he that for ſome robberie ſuffereth.
[1633], George Herbert, “The Sacrifice”, in [Nicholas Ferrar], editor, The Temple. Sacred Poems, and Private Ejaculations, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel; and are to be sold by Francis Green, […], →OCLC, page 26:the utmost extent of human knowledge
the utmost limits of the land
Our nature is need for truth and fulfilment, or, in other words, happiness. [...] But this desire, having reached the extreme borders of our life experience, still does not find what it has been searching for: at the utmost frontier of its lived territory, this urgent need of ours still has not found its answer.
1997, Luigi Giussani, “The Hypothesis of Revelation: Conditions for Its Acceptability”, in John Zucchi, transl., The Religious Sense, Montreal, Que.: McGill–Queen's University Press, →ISBN, page 141:[W]e coaſted within 2 leagues of Antibes, which is the utmoſt towne in France.
1644 October 20 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 11 October 1644]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 72:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| uttermost | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Relateds
uttermost · outmost · outermost
Synonyms
utmost · greatest · almighty · ultimate · exquisite · maximal · yondermost · uttermost · highest · raging · maximum · uttermost · ferocious · intense · passing · extreme · intense · uttermost · outmost · maximal
Translations (65)
fi kauin (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · ja 最大の (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · de äußerst (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · ru преде́льный (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · fr suprême (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · es sobresaliente (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · hu legvégső (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · cmn 最大 (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · bg най-далечен (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · sh кра̑јњӣ (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · fi ääri- (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · bg пределен (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · bg краен (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · nl hoogst (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · th สุดยอด (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · pt derradeiro (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · el άκρος (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · es descollante (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · sv yttersta (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · de äußerst (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · eo plej (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · ja 最大の (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · ru кра́йний (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · pt derradeiro (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · ja 極度な (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · es sumo (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · fi äärimmäinen (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · pt extremo (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · ar آخِر (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · hu legnagyobb (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · uk найвідда́леніший (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · sh кра̑јњӣ (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · ka უკიდურესი (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · sh krȃjnjī (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · fr extrême (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · nl uiterst (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · ru преде́льный (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · it estremo (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · es extremado (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · el υπέρτατος (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · fr plus grand (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · uk найбі́льший (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · fi kaukaisin (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · cmn 極 /极 (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · hu legtávolabbi (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · ru велича́йший (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · fr extrême (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · th ยิ่ง (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · uk грани́чний (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · hy առավելագույն (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · es extremo (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · de höchst (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · uk кра́йній (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · hy հետին (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · xcl յետին (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · cmn 極度 /极度 (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · hy ծայրահեղ (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · fi mahdollisimman (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · ru наивы́сший (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · nl uiterst (situated at the most distant limit — see also farthest, outermost) · pt extremo (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · bg максимален (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · sv yttersta (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · sh krȃjnjī (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate) · ru экстрема́льный (most extreme — see also greatest, ultimate)