most
- 01 A1 Beginner
det.more than half of a group or the largest part of something.
det.denoting the majority or the greatest number or amount of a class or group.
Simple“Most students in the class decided to go on the field trip.”
In context“Most research suggests that consistent sleep patterns are more beneficial for cognitive function than the total number of hours slept.”
Usageused without 'the' when referring to a general majority of a plural or uncountable noun.
PitfallThe most people like pizza. Most people like pizza.When you mean 'the majority', do not use 'the' before 'most' followed by a noun.
- 02 A2 Elementary
det.the largest amount or number compared to others.
det.the superlative of 'many' or 'much', indicating the greatest quantity or degree among several.
Simple“The person with the most points at the end of the game wins.”
In context“The candidate who secures the most votes in the primary election will represent the party in the general race.”
Usageusually preceded by the definite article 'the'.
- 03 A1 Beginner
adv.you use this before long adjectives to show they are at the highest level.
adv.used to form the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs, typically those of two or more syllables.
Simple“This is the most beautiful park I have ever visited.”
In context“The most significant challenge facing the engineering team was the integration of legacy software with the new cloud-based architecture.”
Usageplaced immediately before the adjective or adverb it modifies.
PitfallThis is the most cheapest car. This is the cheapest car.Do not use 'most' with adjectives that already end in '-est'.
Antonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.to a very great degree.
adv.used as an intensifier meaning 'very' or 'extremely'.
Simple“That was a most interesting lecture on the history of art.”
In context“The committee found his contribution to the project to be most helpful during the final stages of development.”
Usageoften used in formal writing or polite speech.
- 05 B1 Intermediate
pron.the greatest number or amount of people or things.
pron.the greatest part or number of a specified group, acting as the head of a noun phrase.
Simple“Most of the cake was eaten before I even got to the party.”
In context“While some residents preferred the new park design, most of those surveyed felt the funds should be allocated to road repairs.”
Usageoften followed by 'of'.
Synonyms - 06 C1 Advanced
adv.nearly or almost.
adv.a shortened form of 'almost'.
Simple“I go to that coffee shop most every morning before work.”
In context“Most anyone you ask in this town will be able to give you directions to the old lighthouse.”
Teacher's tipThis is common in casual American speech but should be avoided in formal writing where 'almost' is preferred.
- 07 C2 Proficiency
adj.the greatest or the coolest.
adj.denoting something that is the greatest, most impressive, or most fashionable.
Simple“That jazz performance last night was really the most.”
In context“In the height of the 1950s beatnik scene, a particularly impressive party might be described as being the most.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is mostly found in mid-20th-century slang (like 'the most') and is rarely used by modern speakers except in a retro or humorous way.
most vs mostly — Most functions as a determiner or pronoun to indicate the majority of a group, while mostly is an adverb meaning mainly or generally.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *meh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *maiz Proto-Germanic *maistaz Proto-Germanic *maist Proto-West Germanic *maist Old English mǣst Middle English English most 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”).
Reduction of almost.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.