most
(mōst)adj.Superlative of
many much1. a. Greatest in number: won the most votes.
b. Greatest in amount, extent, or degree: has the most compassion.
2. In the greatest number of instances: Most fish have fins.
n.1. The greatest amount or degree: She has the most to gain.
2. Slang The greatest, best, or most exciting. Used with the: That party was the most!
pron. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The greatest part or number: Most of the town was destroyed. Most of the books were missing.
adv.Superlative of
much1. In or to the highest degree or extent. Used with many adjectives and adverbs to form the superlative degree: most honest; most impatiently.
2. Very: a most impressive piece of writing.
3. Informal Almost: Most everyone agrees.
Idiom: at (the) most At the maximum: We saw him for ten minutes at the most. She ran two miles at most.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
most
(məʊst) determiner1. a. a great majority of; nearly all: most people like eggs.
b. (as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural): most of them don't know; most of it is finished.
2. the most a. the superlative of
many,
much:
you have the most money;
the most apples.
b. (as pronoun): the most he can afford is two pounds.
3. at most at the most at the maximum: that girl is four at the most.
4. for the most part generally
5. make the most of to use to the best advantage: she makes the most of her accent.
6. than most than most others: the leaves are greener than most.
7. the most slang chiefly US wonderful: that chick's the most.
adv8. the most used to form the superlative of some adjectives and adverbs: the most beautiful daughter of all.
9. the superlative of
much:
people welcome a drink most after work.
10. (intensifier): a most absurd story.
11. informal or dialect US and Canadian almost: most every town in this state.
[Old English māst or mǣst, whence Middle English moste, mēst; compare Old Frisian maest, Old High German meist, Old Norse mestr]
Usage: More and most should be distinguished when used in comparisons. More applies to cases involving two persons, objects, etc, most to cases involving three or more
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
most
(moʊst)
adj. superl. of much or many with more as compar. 1. in the greatest number, amount, or degree: the most votes; the most talent.
2. in the majority of instances: Most operations are successful.
n. 3. the greatest quantity, amount, or degree: The most I can hope for is a passing grade.
4. the greatest number or greater part of what is specified: Most of his writing is rubbish.
5. the greatest number: The most this room will seat is 150.
6. the majority of persons: to be happier than most.
7. the most, Slang. the ultimate in something.
adv. superl. of muchwithmoreas compar. 8. in or to the greatest extent or degree (often used before adjectives and adverbs, and regularly before those of more than two syllables, to form superlative phrases having the same force and effect as the superlative degree formed by the termination -est): most rapid; most wisely.
9. very: most puzzling.
10. Informal. almost or nearly.
Idioms: at (the) most, to an extent not exceeding the whole; generally; usually.
[before 900; Middle English
most(e), Old English
māst; c. Old Frisian māst, Old Saxon mēst, Old High German, German
meist, Old Norse mestr, Gothic
maists. compare
more]
usage: The adverb
most as a shortened form of
almost goes back to 16th-century England, and in that country it is now principally dialectal. In American English
most occurs before such pronouns as
all, anyone, and
everyone; the adjectives
all, any, and
every; and adverbs like
anywhere and
everywhere: Most everyone here is related. The use is often objected to, but it is common in informal speech and writing.
-most
a combining form of
most occurring in a series of superlatives:
foremost; utmost. [Middle English
-most; replacing Middle English, Old English
-mest, double superlative suffix =
-ma superlative suffix (as in Old English
forma first; compare Latin
prīmus) + -est
-est1; later identified with
most]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
most
1. used to mean 'the majority' or 'the largest part'You use most or most of to talk about the majority of a group of things or people, or the largest part of something.
You use most in front of a plural noun which does not have a determiner, such as 'the' or 'a', or a possessive, such as 'my' or 'our', in front of it.
Most people agree that stealing is wrong.
In most schools, sports are compulsory.
You use most of in front of a pronoun, such as us or it, or in front of a noun which has a determiner or possessive noun in front of it.
Most of them enjoy music.
He used to spend most of his time in the library.
Be Careful!
When you use most like this, don't use a determiner in front of it. Don't say, for example, 'The most of them enjoy music.'
Be Careful!
Don't talk about 'the most part' of something. Don't say, for example, 'She had eaten the most part of the pizza'. Say 'She had eaten most of the pizza'.
2. used to form superlativesMost is used in front of adjectives and adverbs to form superlatives.
It was the most interesting film I'd seen for a long time.
These are foods the body can digest most easily.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012