Words nearby above
Idioms for above
above all, most important of all; principally: charity above all.
Origin of above
before 900; Middle English above(n) (Cf. aboon), Old English abufan, onbufan (a-1, on + bufan above (cognate with Dutch boven), equivalent to b(e) by1 + ufan, cognate with Old Frisian uva, Old Saxon oban(a), Old High German obana, German oben, Old Norse ofan above; akin to over); see up; cf. about for formation
usage note for above
Above as an adjective ( the above data ) or as a noun ( study the above ) referring to what has been mentioned earlier in a piece of writing has long been standard. A few critics object to these uses in general writing, believing that they are more appropriate in business or technical contexts; they occur, however, in all kinds of edited writing.
Definition for above all (2 of 2)
Origin of all
before 900; Middle English al, plural alle; Old English eal(l); cognate with Gothic alls, Old Norse allr, Old Frisian, Dutch, Middle Low German al, Old Saxon, Old High German al(l) (German all); if < *ol-no-, equivalent to Welsh oll and akin to Old Irish uile < *ol-io-; cf. almighty
SYNONYMS FOR all
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH all
all awl (see usage note at the current entry)usage note for all
Expressions like all the farther and all the higher occur chiefly in informal speech: This is all the farther the bus goes. That's all the higher she can jump. Elsewhere as far as and as high as are generally used: This is as far as the bus goes. That's as high as she can jump.
Although some object to the inclusion of of in such phrases as all of the students and all of the contracts and prefer to omit it, the construction is entirely standard.
See also already, alright, altogether.
Although some object to the inclusion of of in such phrases as all of the students and all of the contracts and prefer to omit it, the construction is entirely standard.
See also already, alright, altogether.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for above all (1 of 2)
Word Origin for above
Old English abufan, from a- on + bufan above
British Dictionary definitions for above all (2 of 2)
all
/ (ɔːl) /
determiner
adverb
noun
(preceded by my, your, his, etc) (one's) complete effort or interestto give your all; you are my all
totality or whole
Other words from all
Related prefixes: pan-, panto-Word Origin for all
Old English eall; related to Old High German al, Old Norse allr, Gothic alls all
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with above all (1 of 3)
above all
More than anything else, as in A winter hike calls for good equipment, but above all it requires careful planning. This phrase first appears in William Langland's Piers Ploughman (1377), in which the narrator exhorts readers to love the Lord God above all. Also see first and last.
Idioms and Phrases with above all (2 of 3)
above
In addition to the idioms beginning with above
- above all
- above and beyond
- above suspicion
- above the law
also see:
- all (none) of the above
- cut above
- head and shoulders above
- over and above
Idioms and Phrases with above all (3 of 3)
all
In addition to the idioms beginning with all
- all along
- all along the line
- all and sundry
- all at once
- all at sea
- all better
- all but
- all cylinders
- all ears
- all else being equal
- alley cat
- all eyes
- all for
- all for the best
- all gone
- all hours
- all in a day's work
- all in all
- all in, be
- all in good time
- all in one piece
- all joking aside
- all kinds of
- all of
- all of a sudden
- all of the above
- all one
- all out
- all outdoors, big as
- all over
- all over but the shouting
- all over one
- all over the place
- all over with
- all present and accounted for
- all right
- all right for you
- all right with one
- all roads lead to Rome
- all set
- all sewed up
- all shook up
- all sorts
- all systems go
- all talk (and no action)
- all that
- all that glitters is not gold
- all the
- all the best
- all the better
- all the rage
- all there
- all the same
- all the thing
- all the time
- all the way
- all the worse
- all things to all people, be
- all thumbs
- all told
- all to the good
- all up
- all very well
- all well and good
- all wet
- all wool and a yard wide
- all work and no play (makes Jack a dull boy)
- all year round
also see:
- above all
- after all
- against all odds
- as all getout
- at all
- at all costs
- be-all and end-all
- beat all
- by all accounts
- by all means
- by all odds
- cap it all
- fall all over
- firing on all cylinders
- first of all
- for all
- for all I care
- for all I know
- for all one's worth
- for all that
- get away (from it all)
- get one's act (it all) together
- go all the way
- have all one's buttons
- have it all over someone
- have it both ways (all)
- hit on all cylinders
- hold all the aces
- in a (all of a) dither
- in all
- in all good conscience
- in all one's born days
- in all probability
- (all) in the same boat
- it's all downhill from here
- it's all over with
- it takes all sorts
- jump all over
- know all the answers
- know-it-all
- laugh all the way to the bank
- least of all
- let it all hang out
- not all it's cracked up to be
- not at all
- not for all the tea in china
- no time at all
- of all the nerve
- of all things
- once and for all
- one and all
- pull out all the stops
- put all one's eggs in one basket
- seen one, seen them all
- till all hours
- to all intents and purposes
- (all) to the good
- turn out all right
- walk all over
- warts and all
- when all's said and done
- with all due respect
- with all one's heart
- you can't win them all
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.