last

[ last, lahst ]

/ læst, lɑst /

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adjective a superl. of late with later as compar.

occurring or coming after all others, as in time, order, or place: the last line on a page.

most recent; next before the present; latest: last week; last Friday.

being the only one remaining: my last dollar; the last outpost; a last chance.

final: in his last hours.

ultimate or conclusive; definitive: the last word in the argument.

lowest in prestige or importance: last prize.

coming after all others in suitability or likelihood; least desirable: He is the last person we'd want to represent us.

individual; single: The lecture won't start until every last person is seated.

utmost; extreme: the last degree of delight.

Ecclesiastical. (of the sacraments of penance, viaticum, or extreme unction) extreme or final; administered to a person dying or in danger of dying.

adverb

after all others; latest: He arrived last at the party.

on the most recent occasion: When last seen, the suspect was wearing a checked suit.

in the end; finally; in conclusion.

noun

a person or thing that is last.

a final appearance or mention: We've seen the last of her. That's the last we'll hear of it.

the end or conclusion: We are going on vacation the last of September.

Nearby words

lassi, lassie, lassitude, lasso, lassus, last, last analysis, last but not least, last chance saloon, last fling, last gasp

Idioms

at last, after a lengthy pause or delay: He was lost in thought for several minutes, but at last he spoke.

at long last, after much troublesome or frustrating delay: The ship docked at long last.

breathe one's last, to die: He was nearly 90 when he breathed his last.

Origin of last

before 900; Middle English last, latst, syncopated variant of latest, Old English latest, lætest, superlative of læt, late

SYNONYMS FOR last

1 Last, final, ultimate refer to what comes as an ending. That which is last comes or stands after all others in a stated series or succession; last may refer to objects or activities: a seat in the last row; the last game. That which is final comes at the end, or serves to end or terminate, admitting of nothing further; final is rarely used of objects: to make a final attempt. That which is ultimate (literally, most remote) is the last that can be reached, as in progression or regression, experience, or a course of investigation: ultimate truths.

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Can be confused

last penultimate ultimate

Definition for breathe one's last (2 of 2)

breathe

[ breeth ]

/ brið /

verb (used without object), breathed [breethd] /briðd/, breath·ing.

to take air, oxygen, etc., into the lungs and expel it; inhale and exhale; respire.

(in speech) to control the outgoing breath in producing voice and speech sounds.

to pause, as for breath; take rest: How about giving me a chance to breathe?

to move gently or blow lightly, as air.

to live; exist: Hardly a man breathes who has not known great sorrow.

to be redolent of.

(of a material) to allow air and moisture to pass through easily: The jacket is comfortable because the fabric breathes.

(of the skin) to absorb oxygen and give off perspiration.

(of a wine) to be exposed to air after being uncorked, in order to develop flavor and bouquet.

verb (used with object), breathed [breethd] /briðd/, breath·ing.

to inhale and exhale in respiration.

to exhale: Dragons breathe fire.

to inject as if by breathing; infuse: She breathed life into the party.

to give utterance to; whisper.

to express; manifest.

to allow to rest or recover breath: to breathe a horse.

to deprive of breath; tire; exhaust.

to cause to pant; exercise.

Origin of breathe

1250–1300; Middle English brethen, derivative of breath

SYNONYMS FOR breathe

14 utter, tell, murmur, voice; reveal, divulge.

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Related forms

out·breathe, verb (used with object), out·breathed, out·breath·ing.pre·breathe, verb (used with object), pre·breathed, pre·breath·ing.

Can be confused

breadth breath breathe

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

British Dictionary definitions for breathe one's last (1 of 5)

breathe

/ (briːð) /

verb

to take in oxygen from (the surrounding medium, esp air) and give out carbon dioxide; respire

(intr) to exist; be aliveevery animal that breathes on earth

(intr) to rest to regain breath, composure, etcstop your questions, and give me a chance to breathe

(intr) (esp of air) to blow lightlythe wind breathed through the trees

(intr) machinery

to take in air, esp for combustionthe engine breathes through this air filter
to equalize the pressure within a container, chamber, etc, with atmospheric pressurethe crankcase breathes through this duct

(tr) phonetics to articulate (a speech sound) without vibration of the vocal cordsCompare voice (def. 19)

to exhale or emitthe dragon breathed fire

(tr) to impart; instilto breathe confidence into the actors

(tr) to speak softly; whisperto breathe words of love

(tr) to permit to restto breathe a horse

(intr) (of a material) to allow air to pass through so that perspiration can evaporate

breathe again, breathe freely or breathe easily to feel reliefI could breathe again after passing the exam

breathe down someone's neck to stay close to someone, esp to oversee what they are doingthe cops are breathing down my neck

breathe one's last to die or be finished or defeated

Word Origin for breathe

C13: from breath

British Dictionary definitions for breathe one's last (2 of 5)

last

/ (lɑːst) /

adjective (often prenominal)

being, happening, or coming at the end or after all othersthe last horse in the race

being or occurring just before the present; most recentlast Thursday

last but not least coming last in order but nevertheless important

last but one next to last

only remainingone's last cigarette

most extreme; utmost

least suitable, appropriate, or likelyhe was the last person I would have chosen

(esp relating to the end of a person's life or of the world)

final or ultimatelast rites
(capital)the Last Judgment

(postpositive) Liverpool dialect inferior, unpleasant, or contemptiblethis ale is last

adverb

after all others; at or in the endhe came last

most recentlyhe was last seen in the mountains
(in combination)last-mentioned

(sentence modifier) as the last or latest item

noun

the last

a person or thing that is last
the final moment; end

one's last moments before death

the last thing a person can do (esp in the phrase breathe one's last)

the final appearance, mention, or occurrencewe've seen the last of him

at last in the end; finally

at long last finally, after difficulty, delay, or irritation

Word Origin for last

variant of Old English latest, lætest, superlative of late

usage

Since last can mean either after all others or most recent, it is better to avoid using this word where ambiguity might arise as in her last novel. Final or latest should be used in such contexts to avoid ambiguity

British Dictionary definitions for breathe one's last (3 of 5)

last

/ (lɑːst) /

verb

(when intr, often foll by for) to remain in being (for a length of time); continuehis hatred lasted for several years

to be sufficient for the needs of (a person) for (a length of time)it will last us until Friday

(when intr, often foll by for) to remain fresh, uninjured, or unaltered (for a certain time or duration)he lasted for three hours underground

Derived Forms

laster, noun

Word Origin for last

Old English lǣstan; related to Gothic laistjan to follow

British Dictionary definitions for breathe one's last (4 of 5)

last

/ (lɑːst) /

noun

the wooden or metal form on which a shoe or boot is fashioned or repaired

verb

(tr) to fit (a shoe or boot) on a last

Derived Forms

laster, noun

Word Origin for last

Old English lǣste, from lāst footprint; related to Old Norse leistr foot, Gothic laists

British Dictionary definitions for breathe one's last (5 of 5)

last

⁴

/ (lɑːst) /

noun

a unit of weight or capacity having various values in different places and for different commodities. Commonly used values are 2 tons, 2000 pounds, 80 bushels, or 640 gallons

Word Origin for last

Old English hlæst load; related to hladan to lade 1

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 breathe one's last (1 of 3)

breathe one's last

Die, as in Aunt Agatha breathed her last on Tuesday. This term was used by Shakespeare in 3 Henry VI (5:2): “Montague has breathed his last.” It has survived but today is considered a poetic euphemism.

Idioms and Phrases with breathe one's last (2 of 3)

breathe

In addition to the idioms beginning with breathe

breathe down someone's neck
breathe easy
breathe life into
breathe one's last

also see:

as I live and breathe
breathing space
not breathe a word

Idioms and Phrases with breathe one's last (3 of 3)

last

In addition to the idioms beginning with last

last analysis
last but not least
last fling
last gasp
last laugh, have the
last resort
last straw, the
last word, the

also see:

at last
at the last minute
breathe one's last
each and every (last one)
famous last words
first and last
head for (the last roundup)
in the final (last) analysis
on one's last legs
see the last of
stick to one's last
to the last