most
♦♦♦ most /m'oʊst/
Most is often considered to be the superlative form of much and many.
1 [QUANT] QUANT of def-n
You use most to refer to the majority of a group of things or people or the largest part of something.
By stopping smoking you are undoing most of the damage smoking has caused...
Sadly, most of the house was destroyed by fire in 1828.
[DET] DET pl-n
Most is also a determiner.
Most people think the Queen has done a good job over the last 50 years...
[PRON]
Most is also a pronoun.
Seventeen civilians were hurt. Most are students who had been attending a twenty-first birthday party...
2 [ADJ] the ADJ n
You use the most to mean a larger amount than anyone or anything else, or the largest amount possible.
The President himself won the most votes...
[PRON]
Most is also a pronoun.
The most they earn in a day is ten roubles.
3 [ADV] ADV with v
You use most to indicate that something is true or happens to a greater degree or extent than anything else.
What she feared most was becoming like her mother...
...Professor Morris, the person he most hated.
≠ least
[PHRASE] PHR with v
You use most of all to indicate that something happens or is true to a greater extent than anything else.
She said she wanted most of all to be fair.
4 [ADV] ADV adj/adv
You use most to indicate that someone or something has a greater amount of a particular quality than most other things of its kind.
He was one of the most influential performers of modern jazz...
If anything, swimming will appeal to her most strongly...
≠ least
5 [ADV] the ADV after v
If you do something the most, you do it to the greatest extent possible or with the greatest frequency.
What question are you asked the most?...
6 [ADV] ADV adv/adj
You use most in conversations when you want to draw someone's attention to something very interesting or important that you are about to say.
Most surprisingly, quite a few said they don't intend to vote at all...
7 [ADV] ADV adj/adv
You use most to emphasize an adjective or adverb. (FORMAL)
I'll be most pleased to speak to them...
8 [PHRASE] amount PHR, PHR with cl
You use at most or at the most to say that a number or amount is the maximum that is possible and that the actual number or amount may be smaller.
Poach the pears in apple juice for perhaps ten minutes at most.
...staying on at school for two extra years to study only three, or at the most four subjects...
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you make the most of something, you get the maximum use or advantage from it.
Happiness is the ability to make the most of what you have...
10
for the most part: see part
Most is often considered to be the superlative form of much and many.
1 [QUANT] QUANT of def-n
You use most to refer to the majority of a group of things or people or the largest part of something.
By stopping smoking you are undoing most of the damage smoking has caused...
Sadly, most of the house was destroyed by fire in 1828.
[DET] DET pl-n
Most is also a determiner.
Most people think the Queen has done a good job over the last 50 years...
[PRON]
Most is also a pronoun.
Seventeen civilians were hurt. Most are students who had been attending a twenty-first birthday party...
2 [ADJ] the ADJ n
You use the most to mean a larger amount than anyone or anything else, or the largest amount possible.
The President himself won the most votes...
[PRON]
Most is also a pronoun.
The most they earn in a day is ten roubles.
3 [ADV] ADV with v
You use most to indicate that something is true or happens to a greater degree or extent than anything else.
What she feared most was becoming like her mother...
...Professor Morris, the person he most hated.
≠ least
[PHRASE] PHR with v
You use most of all to indicate that something happens or is true to a greater extent than anything else.
She said she wanted most of all to be fair.
4 [ADV] ADV adj/adv
You use most to indicate that someone or something has a greater amount of a particular quality than most other things of its kind.
He was one of the most influential performers of modern jazz...
If anything, swimming will appeal to her most strongly...
≠ least
5 [ADV] the ADV after v
If you do something the most, you do it to the greatest extent possible or with the greatest frequency.
What question are you asked the most?...
6 [ADV] ADV adv/adj
You use most in conversations when you want to draw someone's attention to something very interesting or important that you are about to say.
Most surprisingly, quite a few said they don't intend to vote at all...
7 [ADV] ADV adj/adv
You use most to emphasize an adjective or adverb. (FORMAL)
I'll be most pleased to speak to them...
8 [PHRASE] amount PHR, PHR with cl
You use at most or at the most to say that a number or amount is the maximum that is possible and that the actual number or amount may be smaller.
Poach the pears in apple juice for perhaps ten minutes at most.
...staying on at school for two extra years to study only three, or at the most four subjects...
9 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you make the most of something, you get the maximum use or advantage from it.
Happiness is the ability to make the most of what you have...
10
for the most part: see part