Word
must
US/ˈməst/
UK/mˈʌst/
Definitions
01obligation or rule
A1 · Beginner
modal v. you use this to say that something is necessary or is a rule.
modal v. indicates a requirement, imperative, or strong obligation imposed by the speaker or an external authority.
“You must wear a seatbelt at all times while the car is moving.”
“All employees must complete the safety training module before they are permitted to operate the heavy machinery on the factory floor.”
Usage
followed by the bare infinitive without 'to'
Pitfall
I must to go now.
I must go now.
Do not use 'to' after must. It is followed by the base form of the verb without 'to'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02logical certainty
A2 · Elementary
modal v. you use this when you are almost certain that something is true based on the evidence.
modal v. expresses a logical deduction or the speaker's certainty that a particular state of affairs exists.
“You have been working all day, so you must be very tired.”
“Given the fingerprints found at the scene, the investigators concluded that the suspect must have entered through the unlocked side window.”
Usage
often used with 'be' or 'have been'
Synonyms
Antonyms
03a requirement
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. something that is necessary to have or do.
n. something that is mandatory, essential, or highly recommended.
“If you visit Paris, seeing the Eiffel Tower is a must.”
“For any serious scholar of ancient history, visiting the national archives is an absolute must during their research trip.”
Usage
often used in the phrase 'a must' or 'a must-have'
Synonyms
Antonyms
04grape juice
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Cooking Technical
n. the juice from crushed grapes before it becomes wine.
n. the unfermented or fermenting juice expressed from fruit, especially grapes.
“The workers collected the fresh must in large wooden vats to begin the fermentation.”
“The quality of the wine depends heavily on the sugar content and acidity of the must before the yeast is introduced.”
Usage
uncountable in this sense
Etymology
From Middle English moste ("must", literally, "had to", the past tense of Middle English moten (“to have to”)), from Old English mōste (“had to”), 1st & 3rd person singular past tense of mōtan (“to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity to, be compelled to, must, may”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną. Cognate with Dutch moest (“had to”), German musste (“had to”), Swedish måste (“must, have to, be obliged to”). More at mote.
From Middle English must, from Old English must and Old French must, most, both from Latin mustum.
See musth.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
ADJECTIVE
MODAL VERB
Related words
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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