in the greatest quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number.
to win the most votes.
in the majority of instances.
Most operations are successful.
greatest, as in size or extent.
the most talent.
the greatest quantity, amount, or degree; the utmost.
The most I can hope for is a passing grade.
the greatest number or the majority of a class specified.
Most of his writing is rubbish.
the greatest number.
The most this room will seat is 150.
the majority of persons.
to be more sensitive than most.
Slang. the most, the ultimate in something.
He's the most. That movie was the most.
in or to the greatest extent or degree (in this sense often used before adjectives and adverbs, and regularly before those of more than two syllables, to form superlative phrases having the same force and effect as the superlative degree formed by the termination-est ).
most rapid; most wisely.
a most puzzling case.
Informal. almost or nearly.
make the most of, to use to greatest advantage; utilize fully.
to make the most of an opportunity.
for the most part. part.
at the most, at the maximum. Also at most.
a great majority of; nearly all
most people like eggs
( as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural )
most of them don't know
most of it is finished
at the maximum
that girl is four at the most
generally
to use to the best advantage
she makes the most of her accent
than most others
the leaves are greener than most
slang wonderful
that chick's the most
used to form the superlative of some adjectives and adverbs
the most beautiful daughter of all
the superlative of much
people welcome a drink most after work
(intensifier)
a most absurd story
informal almost
most every town in this state
John is the more intelligent of the two
he is the most intelligent of the students
The adverb most, a shortened form of almost, is far from being either a recent development or an Americanism. It goes back to the 16th century in England, where it is now principally a dialect form. In American English it occurs before such pronouns as all, anyone, anybody, everyone, and everybody; the adjectives all, any, and every; and adverbs like anywhere and everywhere: Most everyone around here is related to everyone else. You can find that plant most anywhere. This use of most is often objected to, but it is common in the informal speech of educated persons. It is less common in edited writing except in representations of speech.
More and most should be distinguished when used in comparisons. More applies to cases involving two persons, objects, etc, most to cases involving three or more
See almost.
First recorded before 900; Middle English most(e), Old English māst; replacing Middle English mest(e), Old English mǣst; cognate with German meist, Gothic maists; see more
Middle English -most; replacing Middle English, Old English -mest, double superlative suffix, equivalent to -ma superlative suffix (as in Old English forma first; compare Latin prīmus ) + -est 1; later identified with most
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After the Cold War, the U.S. and Europe closed most of their explosives factories and outsourced their dangers to Asia and elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Talley denied that Quintero is affiliated with the Mexican Mafia, a group of about 140 men who control most Latino gangs in Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
J&J said the settlement would cover about 69,000 cases, totalling most of the remaining talc-related claims.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Emergency crews can reach most bridges within five minutes -- the critical window to intervene and save a life, he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Confession is one of the most important sacraments of the Catholic Church—a holy moment in which people can repent their wrongs.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
England's fast-bowling department is experiencing its most uncertain period for more than two decades, with James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and -most likely - Mark Wood out of the picture.
From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026
Off a common area, there is a bathroom, a room stacked with roughly-constructed bunks for those with privileges -most inmates sleep on the floor - and a bedroom for the six women internees.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2014
When forced to consider artistic forms proper-for example, in some surrealistic or abstract art -most people will only tolerate them if they do 30 not interfere with their perception of human forms and fates.
From SAT Tests
To Mao Tse-tung they were proof that Liu was on the job, honing the edges of the world's "purest" and -most massive Communist Party.
From Time Magazine Archive
The ending -most is added to some words that are not usually adjectives, or have no comparative forms.
From An English Grammar by Sewell, James Witt
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.
