utmost
Americanadjective
noun
-
Also the greatest degree or amount.
the utmost that can be said;
The hotel provides the utmost in comfort.
-
the most or best of one's abilities, powers, etc..
He did his utmost to finish on time.
-
the extreme limit or extent.
His patience was taxed to the utmost.
adjective
-
of the greatest possible degree or amount
the utmost degree
-
at the furthest limit
the utmost town on the peninsula
noun
Etymology
Origin of utmost
First recorded before 900; Middle English utmest, Old English ūtemest; equivalent to out + -most
Explanation
Utmost means "the greatest extent or amount." When you work as hard as you possibly can, you do your utmost to accomplish your goal. Whenever something is the most, it can be described as the utmost. If a message is of the utmost importance, it's as important as it possibly can be. Any time you want to really want to emphasize that you believe in something more than anything else or truly intend to do something, do your utmost to use the word utmost.
Vocabulary lists containing utmost
Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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"American Names"
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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo that she would "do my utmost to coordinate efforts with the new governor to strengthen the Okinawan economy".
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
“We have nothing but the utmost confidence in him.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
"These songs, they need to be treated with the utmost respect."
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
“Safety is always our utmost priority,” Gonzalez said, noting that Teamsters took care to follow the law and not block public roadways.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
At this point Joe greatly augmented my curiosity by taking the utmost pains to open his mouth very wide, and to put it into the form of a word that looked to me like “sulks.”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
