Dictionary.com

almost

[ awl-mohst, awl-mohst ]
/ ˈɔl moʊst, ɔlˈmoʊst /
Save This Word!

adverb
very nearly; all but: almost every house; almost the entire symphony; to pay almost nothing for a car; almost twice as many books.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of almost

First recorded before 1000; Middle English almost, almast, almest, Old English eall(e) mǣst “nearly all”

synonym study for almost

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 for almost

See most.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH almost

almost , most
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use almost in a sentence

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
FEEDBACK