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.
-
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.
Many readers will remember that Arundhati Roy explored the lives of hijra in her swirling 2017 novel, “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.”
From Washington Post • Jun. 15, 2020
“I think the two of us leaned on each other quite a bit, helped each other out a lot as young coaches and developing into wherever we are right now. ... Utmost respect for him.”
From Reuters • Sep. 19, 2018
It may have felt like defeat to Roy, but the arrival of The Ministry of Utmost Happiness last year was a cause of celebration for nearly everybody else.
From The Guardian • Jun. 17, 2018
Even so, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness remains a deeply rewarding work, if you can let the novel wash over you rather than try to force it into shape.
From Slate • Jun. 19, 2017
Utmost; highest endeavor or state; most nearly perfect thing, or being, or action; as, to do one's best; to the best of our ability.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Webster, Noah
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.
