Word
utmost
Phoneticsut·most, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈətˌmoʊst/
UK/ˈʌtməʊst/
Definitions
01greatest or highest degree
C1 · Advanced Formal
adj. the greatest or most extreme amount of something.
adj. of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, or the most extreme limit.
“This medical procedure requires the utmost care and attention from the surgeons.”
“The safety of the passengers is of the utmost importance to the airline, and no technical fault is ever ignored.”
Usage
Usually placed before the noun it modifies.
02most distant
C2 · Proficiency Literary
adj. the furthest away or most distant point.
adj. situated at the most distant limit or the outermost point.
“The explorers travelled to the utmost reaches of the frozen continent.”
“The signal was broadcast to the utmost limits of the solar system, though it would take years to reach any potential receiver.”
03one's best effort
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. the most that someone can possibly do.
n. the greatest possible capability, extent, or effort that an individual can exert.
“I will do my utmost to finish the report by the end of the day.”
“The rescue team did their utmost to reach the trapped climbers before the blizzard made further progress impossible.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'to do one's utmost'.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “utmost” in context.
Real-World Examples
“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.” Etymology
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.
Idioms
01. do one's utmost
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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