MOST • FREE TRANSLATOR.ORG • Definition of Most

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/moʊst/ /moʊs/ Listen

adverb

Most adv. In the greatest or highest degree. "Those nearest to this king, and most his favorites, were courtiers and prelates." Note: Placed before an adjective or adverb, most is used to form the superlative degree, being equivalent to the termination -est; as, most vile, most wicked; most illustrious; most rapidly. Formerly, and until after the Elizabethan period of our literature, the use of the double superlative was common. See More, adv. "The most unkindest cut of all." "The most straitest sect of our religion."

adjective

Most adj. superl. (superl. of More)

Consisting of the greatest number or quantity; greater in number or quantity than all the rest; nearly all. "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness." "The cities wherein most of his mighty works were done."

Greatest in degree; as, he has the most need of it. "In the moste pride."

Highest in rank; greatest. (Obs.) Note: Most is used as a noun, the words part, portion, quantity, etc., being omitted, and has the following meanings: 1. The greatest value, number, or part; preponderating portion; highest or chief part. 2. The utmost; greatest possible amount, degree, or result; especially in the phrases to make the most of, at the most, at most. "A quarter of a year or some months at the most." "A covetous man makes the most of what he has."

For the most part, in reference to the larger part of a thing, or to the majority of the persons, instances, or things referred to; as, human beings, for the most part, are superstitious; the view, for the most part, was pleasing.

Most an end, generally. See An end, under End, n. (Obs.) "She sleeps most an end."

More adj. compar. (superl. most)

Greater; superior; increased; as:

(a)

Greater in quality, amount, degree, quality, and the like; with the singular. "He gat more money." "If we procure not to ourselves more woe." Note: More, in this sense, was formerly used in connection with some other qualifying word, a, the, this, their, etc., which now requires the substitution of greater, further, or the like, for more. "Whilst sisters nine, which dwell on Parnasse height, Do make them music for their more delight." "The more part knew not wherefore they were come together." "Wrong not that wrong with a more contempt."

(b)

Greater in number; exceeding in numbers; with the plural. "The people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we."

Additional; other; as, he wept because there were no more worlds to conquer. "With open arms received one poet more."

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Etymology of 'Most'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Most" Quotes from Famous Books

... Lord God of hosts, Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to Thee, O Lord, most high! Amen." ...

— The Transformation of Job - A Tale of the High Sierras • Frederick Vining Fisher

... to work slowly they use certain cant phrases which sound most plausible until their real meaning is analyzed. They continually use the expression, "Workmen should not be asked to do more than a fair day's work," which sounds right and just until we come to see how it is applied. The absurdity of its usual application would ...

— Shop Management • Frederick Winslow Taylor

... length, the Rev. Berosus Huggins was not so bad a fellow, and was nobody's fool. He was, I suppose, the most ill-favored mortal, however, in the whole northern half of America—thin, angular, cadaverous of visage and solemn out of all reason. He commonly wore a low-crowned black hat, set so far down upon his head as partly to eclipse his eyes and wholly obscure ...

— The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume 8 - Epigrams, On With the Dance, Negligible Tales • Ambrose Bierce

... co-exist with it, and still less calculate the "collective result" of so many combined elements. The remark, however, must here be once more repeated, that knowledge insufficient for prediction may be most valuable for guidance. It is not necessary for the wise conduct of the affairs of society, no more than of any one's private concerns, that we should be able to foresee infallibly the results of what we do. We must seek our objects by means which may perhaps ...

— A System Of Logic, Ratiocinative And Inductive • John Stuart Mill

... Phillips, takes a great interest in him and keeps him here to observe him. He's writing a book about him. He says the fellow has forgotten almost everything about his life before he came to France. The queer thing is, it's his recollection of women that is most affected. He can remember his father, but not his mother; doesn't know if he has sisters or not,—can remember seeing girls about the house, but thinks they may have been cousins. His photographs and belongings were lost ...

— One of Ours • Willa Cather

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