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last

det. · adj. · adv. · v. · n.
US //ˈɫæs// UK //lˈɑːst// last
  1. 1 most recent (det.)
    A1 Beginner

    the one that happened just before now.

    denoting the person or thing immediately preceding the present or the one most recently mentioned.

    Example

    We went to a great Italian restaurant last night.

    Example

    Last year saw a significant increase in remote work across the tech sector, a trend that few analysts predicted would hold so firmly.
    Pitfall
    I went to London in the last week.
    I went to London last week.

    When using 'last' with time words like week, month, or year to mean 'the one before this one', do not use 'the'.

  2. 2 final (adj.)
    A1 Beginner

    coming after all others in a series or group.

    coming after all others in time, order, or importance; ultimate in a sequence.

    Example

    This is the last bus of the evening, so don't miss it.

    Example

    The last chapter of the biography provides a moving account of the artist's final years in rural France.
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  1. 3 least likely (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the person or thing you would least expect or want.

    the least likely or suitable; the most remote from a given quality or condition.

    Example

    He is the last person I expected to see at the party.

    Example

    Given her reputation for punctuality, she was the last person the manager expected to arrive late for the board meeting.
    • least likely
  2. 4 most recently (adv.)
    A2 Elementary

    the most recent time that something happened.

    on the most recent occasion.

    Example

    When did you last see your brother?

    Example

    The policy was last updated in 2010, making it largely irrelevant to the current digital landscape.
  3. 5 at the end (adv.)
    A2 Elementary

    after everything or everyone else.

    after all others in a sequence or series.

    Example

    I saved the best news for last.

    Example

    The runner started slowly but managed to overtake the leaders, finishing last in the first heat but winning the final.
  4. 6 to continue (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to continue for a particular amount of time.

    to continue in time; to endure or remain functional for a specific duration.

    Example

    The meeting lasted for two hours.

    Example

    The battery is designed to last for up to ten hours of continuous video playback under normal operating conditions.

    Usage

    This verb is often followed by a duration or a time expression.
  5. 7 shoemaking tool (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    a model of a foot used by a shoemaker to shape a shoe.

    a mechanical form that has a shape similar to that of a human foot, used by shoemakers in the manufacture and repair of shoes.

    Example

    The cobbler placed the leather over the wooden last to shape the boot.

    Example

    Bespoke shoemakers maintain individual lasts for each client to ensure a perfect fit across different styles of footwear.
Etymology 1

From Middle English laste, latst, syncopated variant of latest.

Etymology 2

From Middle English lasten, from Old English lǣstan, from Proto-West Germanic laistijan, from Proto-Germanic laistijaną. Cognate with German leisten (“yield”).

Etymology 3

The noun is derived from Middle English lest, leste (“shoemaker’s model shaped like a foot, last”), from Old English lǣste (“shoemaker‘s last”), from Proto-Germanic laistiz, from laisǭ (“track, trail”), from Proto-Indo-European leys-eh₂-, from leys- (“to trace; to track”). Doublet of learn and lore. The verb is derived from the noun. cognates * Dutch leest * German Leisten Proto-Germanic laistaz (“footprint”) * Swedish läst

Etymology 4

From Middle English last, from Old English hlæst (“burden, load, freight”), from Proto-Germanic hlastuz (“burden, load, freight”), from Proto-Indo-European kleh₂- (“to put, lay out”). Cognate with West Frisian lêst, Dutch last, German Last, Swedish last, Icelandic lest.

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