utmost
Americanadjective
noun
-
Also the greatest degree or amount.
the utmost that can be said;
The hotel provides the utmost in comfort.
-
the most or best of one's abilities, powers, etc..
He did his utmost to finish on time.
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the extreme limit or extent.
His patience was taxed to the utmost.
adjective
-
of the greatest possible degree or amount
the utmost degree
-
at the furthest limit
the utmost town on the peninsula
noun
Etymology
Origin of utmost
First recorded before 900; Middle English utmest, Old English ūtemest; equivalent to out + -most
Explanation
Utmost means "the greatest extent or amount." When you work as hard as you possibly can, you do your utmost to accomplish your goal. Whenever something is the most, it can be described as the utmost. If a message is of the utmost importance, it's as important as it possibly can be. Any time you want to really want to emphasize that you believe in something more than anything else or truly intend to do something, do your utmost to use the word utmost.
Vocabulary lists containing utmost
Vocabulary from the Magna Carta on its 800th Anniversary
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"American Names"
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Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
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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.
They are requesting the Justice Department review the matter “expeditiously and with the utmost seriousness,” and bring criminal charges against Wright if warranted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
As law, policy and regulation have penetrated deeper into every facet of life, the First Amendment right “to petition the government for the redress of grievances” has become of utmost importance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Such a high-profile referee is not going to act without the utmost integrity.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
When contacted by AFP, the Israeli police said it was "treating every one of these incidents with the utmost seriousness", including setting up "specialised joint task forces" and meeting with local community leaders.
From Barron's ● Jul. 5, 2026
Once they were kept in containers marked with skull and crossbones; the infrequent occasions of their use were marked with utmost care that they should come in contact with the target and with nothing else.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
