Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Most

Most

(mōst)
,
Adj.
,
sup
erl.
of
More
.
[OE.
most
,
mast
,
mest
, AS.
mǣst
; akin to D.
meest
, OS.
mēst
, G.
meist
, Icel.
mestr
, Goth.
maists
; a superl. corresponding to E.
more
. √103. See
More
,
Adj.
]
1.
Consisting of the greatest number or quantity; greater in number or quantity than all the rest; nearly all.
“Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness.”
Prov. xx. 6.
The cities wherein
most
of his mighty works were done.
Matt. xi. 20.
2.
Greatest in degree;
as, he has the
most
need of it
.
“In the moste pride.”
Chaucer.
3.
Highest in rank; greatest.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
☞ Most is used as a noun, the words part, portion, quantity, etc., being omitted, and has the following meanings: 1. The greatest value, number, or part; preponderating portion; highest or chief part. 2. The utmost; greatest possible amount, degree, or result; especially in the phrases to make the most of, at the most, at most.
A quarter of a year or some months
at the most
.
Bacon.
A covetous man
makes the most of
what he has.
L’Estrange.
For the most part
,
in reference to the larger part of a thing, or to the majority of the persons, instances, or things referred to; as, human beings, for the most part, are superstitious; the view, for the most part, was pleasing.
–
Most an end
,
generally. See
An end
, under
End
,
Noun.
[Obs.]
“She sleeps most an end.”
Massinger.

Most

,
adv.
[AS.
mǣst
. See
Most
,
Adj.
]
In the greatest or highest degree.
Those nearest to this king, and
most
his favorites, were courtiers and prelates.
Milton.
☞ Placed before an adjective or adverb, most is used to form the superlative degree, being equivalent to the termination -est; as, most vile, most wicked; most illustrious; most rapidly. Formerly, and until after the Elizabethan period of our literature, the use of the double superlative was common. See
More
,
adv.
The
most unkindest
cut of all.
Shakespeare
The
most straitest
sect of our religion.
Acts xxvi. 5.

Webster 1828 Edition

Most

MOST

,
Adj.
superl. of more.
1.
Consisting of the greatest number. That scheme of life is to be preferred, which presents a prospect of the most advantages with the fewest inconveniences.
Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness. Prov.20.
2.
consisting of the greatest quantity; greatest; as the most part of the land or the mountain.

MOST

,
adv.
In the greatest or highest degree. Pursue that course of life which will most tend to produce private happiness and public usefulness. Contemplations on the works of God expand the mind and tend to produce most sublime views of his power and wisdom.
As most is used to express the superlative degree, it is used before any adjective; as most vile, most wicked, most illustrious.

MOST

,
Noun.
[used as a substitute for a noun, when the noun is omitted or understood.]
1.
The greatest number or part.
Then he began to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done. Matt.11.
[This use seems to have resulted form the omission of part, or some similar word,and most in this case signifies greatest, that is, the greatest part.]
2.
The most, the greatest value, amount or advantage, or the utmost in extent, degree or effect.
A covetous man makes the most of what he has, and can get.
At the most, the greatest degree or quantity; the utmost extent. Stock brings six per cent. interest at the most, often less.

Definition 2024

Most

Most

See also: most, móst, mōst, mošt, and -most

Czech

Proper noun

Most

  1. A town in the Czech Republic.

German

Etymology

From Old High German most, from Latin mustum

Noun

Most m ‎(genitive Mostes, plural Moste)

  1. (unfermented or partly fermented) fruit juice; must (of grapes); new wine
  2. (southern Germany, Switzerland) fruit wine

Declension

Derived terms

  • mosten
  • Mosterei

most

most

See also: Most, móst, mōst, mošt, and -most

English

Determiner

most

  1. superlative degree of much.
    I like most chocolate, but I've never enjoyed white chocolate.‎
    The teams competed to see who could collect the most money.‎
  2. superlative degree of many.
    Most bakers and dairy farmers have to get up early.‎
    Winning was not important for most participants.‎

Synonyms

  • (superlative of much): more than half of, (in meaning, not grammar), almost all
  • (superlative of many): the majority of (in meaning, not grammar)

Translations

Adverb

most ‎(not comparable)

  1. Forms the superlative of many adjectives.
    This is the most important example.‎
    Correctness is most important.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 7, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      With some of it on the south and more of it on the north of the great main thoroughfare that connects Aldgate and the East India Docks, St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London.
    • 1922, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest:
      “[…] the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes […] . And then, when you see [the senders], you probably find that they are the most melancholy old folk with malignant diseases. […]”
  2. To a great extent or degree; highly; very.
    This is a most unusual specimen.‎
    • 1895, H. G. Wells, The Time Machine Chapter X
      Now, I still think that for this box of matches to have escaped the wear of time for immemorial years was a strange, and for me, a most fortunate thing.
  3. (informal, chiefly US) Almost.
    • 2000, Jewish Baltimore: A Family Album (ISBN 0801864275), page 159:
      "We walked there most every day after school."
    • 2011, Charlotte Maclay, Wanted: A Dad to Brag About (ISBN 1459274989):
      “Can't be all that bad if Luke likes it. Most everywhere has air-conditioning, he says.”

most

  1. superlative form of many: most many
  2. superlative form of much: most much
    • 2013 August 3, “Boundary problems”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
      Economics is a messy discipline: too fluid to be a science, too rigorous to be an art. Perhaps it is fitting that economists’ most-used metric, gross domestic product (GDP), is a tangle too. GDP measures the total value of output in an economic territory. Its apparent simplicity explains why it is scrutinised down to tenths of a percentage point every month.

Antonyms

  • fewest (with countable nouns)
  • least (especially with uncountable nouns)

Related terms

Derived terms

Translations

Pronoun

most

  1. The greater part of a group, especially a group of people.
    Most want the best for their children.‎
    The peach was juicier and more flavourful than most.‎

Synonyms

Noun

most ‎(usually uncountable, plural mosts)

  1. (uncountable) The greatest amount.
    The most I can offer for the house is $150,000.
  2. (countable, uncountable) The greater part.
    Most of the penguins were friendly and curious.‎
    • 1893, Walter Besant, The Ivory Gate, chapter III:
      At half-past nine on this Saturday evening, the parlour of the Salutation Inn, High Holborn, contained most of its customary visitors. […] In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 20, in The China Governess:
      The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. […] The second note, the high alarum, not so familiar and always important since it indicates the paramount sin in Man's private calendar, took most of them by surprise although they had been well prepared.
    • 2013 August 16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8:
      Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.
    Most of the rice was spoiled.
  3. (countable) A record-setting amount.

Usage notes

  • In the sense of record, used when the positive denotation of best does not apply.

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: good · never · shall · #101: most · where · those · own

Anagrams

Czech

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *mostъ ‎(“bridge”)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /most/

Noun

most m

  1. bridge

Declension

Derived terms

  • můstek m
  • mostní
  • mostový
  • přemostit

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin mustum.

Noun

most m ‎(plural mosts)

  1. must (unfermented grape juice or wine)

Hungarian

Etymology

From the earlier ma ‎(“now”), which in modern Hungarian means “today”, with the suffix +‎ -st, compare örömest.[1]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈmoʃt]

Adverb

most

  1. now

Derived terms

References

  1. ↑ Gábor Zaicz, Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete, Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, ISBN 963 7094 01 6

Lower Sorbian

Noun

most m ‎(diminutive mosćik)

  1. Superseded spelling of móst.

Declension

Old High German

Etymology

From Latin mustum.

Noun

most m

  1. must

Descendants

Polish

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *mostъ ‎(“bridge”)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /mɔst/

Noun

most m inan

  1. bridge (building over a river or valley)

Declension

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *mostъ ‎(“bridge”)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /môːst/

Noun

mȏst m ‎(Cyrillic spelling мо̑ст)

  1. bridge (construction or natural feature that spans a divide)

Declension

Derived terms

  • mòstić
  • mòstiti

Slovak

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *mostъ ‎(“bridge”)

Noun

most m ‎(genitive singular mosta, nominative plural mosty, declension pattern of dub)

  1. bridge

Declension

Derived terms

Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *mostъ ‎(“bridge”)

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈmóːst/
  • Tonal orthography: mọ̑st

Noun

móst m inan ‎(genitive mostú or mósta, nominative plural mostôvi or mósti)

  1. bridge (construction or natural feature that spans a divide)

Declension

Volapük

Noun

most ‎(plural mosts)

  1. monster

Declension

Etymology

From Middle English most, moste, from Old English mǣst, māst, from Proto-Germanic *maistaz, *maist. Cognate with Scots mast, maist ‎(“most”), Saterland Frisian maast ‎(“most”), West Frisian meast ‎(“most”), Dutch meest ‎(“most”), German meist ‎(“most”), Danish and Swedish mest ‎(“most”), Icelandic mestur ‎(“most”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) enPR: mōst, IPA(key): /məʊst/
  • (US) enPR: mōst, IPA(key): /moʊst/
  • Rhymes: -əʊst

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