utmost
- 01 C1 Advanced
adj.the greatest or most extreme amount of something.
adj.of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, or the most extreme limit.
Simple“This medical procedure requires the utmost care and attention from the surgeons.”
In context“The safety of the passengers is of the utmost importance to the airline, and no technical fault is ever ignored.”
UsageUsually placed before the noun it modifies.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
adj.the furthest away or most distant point.
adj.situated at the most distant limit or the outermost point.
Simple“The explorers travelled to the utmost reaches of the frozen continent.”
In context“The signal was broadcast to the utmost limits of the solar system, though it would take years to reach any potential receiver.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.the most that someone can possibly do.
n.the greatest possible capability, extent, or effort that an individual can exert.
Simple“I will do my utmost to finish the report by the end of the day.”
In context“The rescue team did their utmost to reach the trapped climbers before the blizzard made further progress impossible.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'to do one's utmost'.
Usage utmost respect
“We have the utmost respect and admiration for FSG as owners and for everything they have achieved at Anfield.”
“The piece ends with Keron’s commitment to protect others in his position – and the hour itself is handled with utmost care.”
PIE word *úd From Middle English utmost, utemest [and other forms], from Old English ūtmest, ūtemest [and other forms], from ūt, ūte (“out; outdoors, outside”) + -mest (suffix meaning ‘furthest’, used to form superlatives of some adjectives) (and conflated with most). Ūt is derived from Proto-Germanic ūt (“out, outward”), from Proto-Indo-European úd (“out, outward”). Equivalent to out + -most.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.