almost

[ awl-mohst, awl-mohst ]

/ ˈɔl moʊst, ɔlˈmoʊst /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR almost ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

very nearly; all but: almost every house; almost the entire symphony; to pay almost nothing for a car; almost twice as many books.

Nearby words

almoner's cupboard, almonry, almoravid, almoravide, almoravids, almost, almost everywhere, almost periodic function, almous, alms, almsgiver

Origin of almost

before 1000; Middle English; Old English (e)al māst, variant of æl mǣst nearly

Can be confused

almost most (see usage note at most)

Synonym study

Almost, most, nearly, well-nigh all mean within a small degree of or short space of. Almost implies very little short of: almost exhausted; almost home. Most is colloquial for almost. Nearly implies a slightly greater distance or degree than almost : nearly well; nearly to the city. Well-nigh, a more literary word, implies a barely appreciable distance or extent: well-nigh forgotten; well-nigh home.

Usage note

See most.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for almost

Have you tried to access the research that your tax dollars finance, almost all of which is kept behind a paywall?
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, almost exactly 30 years after the trial, the judge left his home to board a steamboat and was never heard from again.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Almost all of the network and cable news channels said that they would not be showing the cartoons either.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, as an almost purely advisory firm, Lazard is (appropriately) barely affected by the Dodd-Frank reforms.
Antonio Weiss Is Not Part of the Problem|Steve Rattner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Almost everyone there will be a decent person and treat you well.
Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv|Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Our mood becomes so mediæval as to almost make the ancient stained glass seem contemporary.
Stained Glass Tours in France|Charles Hitchcock Sherrill
There was a fanciful suggestion of the eavesdropper about the creature; his attitude was almost furtive.
The Hound From The North|Ridgwell Cullum
She almost always wore a pleasant smile on her rosy lips; a light of loving tenderness generally shone in her soft blue eyes.
Minnie Brown|Daniel Wise
That slender slip of a woman does almost all their farm work, herself?
Dorothy on a House Boat|Evelyn Raymond
The road was almost impassable, and every jolt caused him agony.
Captain Jinks, Hero|Ernest Crosby

British Dictionary definitions for almost

almost

/ (ˈɔːlməʊst) /

adverb

little short of being; very nearly

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

almost

adverb

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of almost

Can be confused

Synonym study

Usage note

Examples from the Web for almost

British Dictionary definitions for almost

almost

adverb