ENGLISH
REFERENCE

at last

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. finally, especially after a long time or after many problems.

prep. phr.. an adverbial phrase indicating the eventual occurrence of an event after a period of delay, difficulty, or anticipation.


SIMPLE

At last, the rain has stopped.

CONTEXTUAL

After three hours of waiting in the cold, the bus arrived at last.

COMPLEX

The peace treaty was signed at last, bringing an end to decades of territorial disputes and economic instability.

Usage

often placed at the very beginning or the very end of a sentence to show relief.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'finally'; 'at last' carries a stronger emotional tone of relief or impatience, whereas 'finally' can be a neutral marker in a sequence.

Pitfall

at the lastat lastthe phrase 'at last' does not take an article; 'at the last' usually refers to the final moment in a series.

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