almost
Americanadverb
adverb
Usage
See most.
Related Words
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.
Etymology
Origin of almost
First recorded before 1000; Middle English almost, almast, almest, Old English eall(e) mǣst “nearly all”
Explanation
Almost means "nearly," "roughly," or "not quite." If you're almost as tall as your brother, it means he's still just a bit taller than you are. If you almost got a great job, you came close but weren't ultimately successful, and if you're almost qualified to get your pilot's license, nobody's going to let you fly a plane quite yet. The adverb almost is perfect for describing things you come close to doing, or states you haven't yet reached. It has an Old English root, eallmæst, "nearly all," or literally, "mostly all."
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.
“If it’s weird and attention-grabbing and will get shared, it almost is irrelevant whether or not the food is edible or delicious,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
"That one is the closest thing to it... because, it's like, almost no rules."
From BBC • May 22, 2026
“We’re almost 160 offices. I reflect on it all the time. Obviously, it’s a dream. We’re building a network,” he says.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Last year, almost a third of all new money flowing into ETFs went into nonindex funds, says Elisabeth Kashner, director of ETF research and analytics at FactSet.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Only months afterward did I remember how strangely he spoke them, the urgency, almost desperation in his voice.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
