Jump To:

• EST
  EST

  abbreviation

  Eastern Standard Time.
• -est
  -est

  a suffix forming the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs.
• est.
  est.

  abbreviation

  established.
• est
  est

  abbreviation

  established

EST

¹ American  

Or E.S.T.,

abbreviation

1. Eastern Standard Time.

---

-est ² American  

1. a suffix forming the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs.

   warmest; fastest; soonest.

---

-est ³ American  

1. a native English suffix formerly used to form the second person singular indicative of verbs.

   knowest; sayest; goest.

---

est. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. established.

2. estate.

3. estimate.

4. estimated.

5. estuary.

---

EST ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Eastern Standard Time

2. electric-shock treatment

3. Estonia (international car registration)

---

est ² British  

abbreviation

1. Also: estab.  established

2. estimate(d)

---

-est ³ British  

suffix

1. forming the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs

   shortest

   fastest

---

-est ⁴ British  

suffix

1. forming the archaic second person singular present and past indicative tense of verbs

   thou goest

   thou hadst

---

est ⁵ British  

/ ɛst /

noun

1. a treatment intended to help people towards psychological growth, in which they spend many hours in large groups, deprived of food and water and hectored by stewards

---

Etymology

Origin of -est²

Middle English; Old English -est, -ost. Compare Greek -isto-

Origin of -est³

Middle English; Old English -est, -ast, -st, 2nd person singular present indicative endings of some verbs ( -s earlier verbal ending + -t, by assimilation from thū thou ¹ ) and 2nd person singular past endings of weak verbs (earlier -es + -t )

Compare meaning

How does est compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• CDT vs. EST
• PST vs. EST
• EST vs. EDT
• CST vs. EST

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

EST -est est. est

EST on Thursday, Feb. 12, and 5:15 a.m.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 2, 2026

Analysts surveyed by The Wall Street Journal before the report’s release at noon EST had widely expected ending stocks to sink across the board, with 2025 crop yields lower amid larger projections for export sales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 12, 2026

EST in the Barus & Holley engineering and physics building, a space crowded with students preparing for final exams.

From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025

EST and a suspect was taken into custody.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025

End of mission called at 10:46 hours EST.

From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin

The so-called Northumbrian records of the ninth and tenth centuries frequently use -es instead of -est, in the 2nd pers. preterite of regular verbs, e.g., ðu forcerdes usic on-bec = Thou turnedst us hindward.

From Early English Alliterative Poems in the West-Midland Dialect of the Fourteenth Century by Richard Morris

Adverbs in -ly usually have more and most instead of the inflected form, only occasionally having -er and -est.

From An English Grammar by James Witt Sewell

Which rule,— -er and -est or more and most?

From An English Grammar by James Witt Sewell

What should be done with the terminations -ing, -en, -ed, -er, and -est, and the plural -es?

From Division of Words Rules for the Division of Words at the Ends of Lines, with Remarks on Spelling, Syllabication and Pronunciation by Frederick W. (Frederick William) Hamilton

Most monosyllabic adverbs add -er and -est to form the comparative and superlative, just as adjectives do; as, high, higher, highest; soon, sooner, soonest.

From An English Grammar by James Witt Sewell

Several players, past and present, were on hand for the announcement, and they took turns on stage to help hammer a stake holding a sign that read, “Las Vegas Raiders est. 2020.”

From Reuters ● Jan. 22, 2020

Ite, lector benevole, Ite, missa est.   p. 272Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.

From Legends of Florence Collected from the People, First Series by Charles Godfrey Leland

Taylor, President John   Introduction to Tyler's Battalion history,   directed est. of Arizona Stakes,   visited Arizona,   death,   Mexican trip,   photo.

From Mormon Settlement in Arizona A Record of Peaceful Conquest of the Desert by James H. McClintock

Rather than share my opinion on that pairing, I’ll follow the Latin dictum de gustibus non est disputandum: “There can be no disputes in matters of taste.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026

"We are forever connected. Audere est Facere. Ange."

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2025

“I was shocked. When I asked her to repeat it, she then switched to French: ‘Jovenel est une propriété.’”

From New York Times ● Dec. 12, 2021

“De gustibus non est disputandum,” as the Romans would put it, Latin for “Your poor taste isn’t my problem.”

From Washington Post ● Sep. 27, 2021

The crowd shouts a Belle-blessing: "La beauté est la vie."

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton