almost
gb/ˈɔlmˌoʊst/ us/ˈɔlmˌoʊst/
A2
English
~ 400
majdnem
A2
1
majdnem
A2
Usage pattern:
almost [verb/adjective/number]
She almost missed the train.
Majdnem lekéste a vonatot.
It’s almost midnight.
Már majdnem éjfél van.
I almost forgot to call you.
The movie was almost three hours long.
He almost won the game.
Learner examples
I almost missed the bus.
Majdnem lekéstem a buszt.
It is almost time for lunch.
Már majdnem ebédidő van.
She almost fell down.
We are almost at the park.
He almost made a mistake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes place 'almost' in the wrong position in a sentence. It usually comes before the verb, adjective, or adverb it modifies.
Meaning
Nearly but not completely
Collocations
almost done
|almost finished
|almost ready
|almost impossible
|almost always
Synonyms
nearly (Almost interchangeable in most contexts, though 'nearly' is slightly more common in British English.)
|
practically (Often implies something is close enough to be considered as true for practical purposes.)
Antonyms
completely (Indicates something is fully true or has fully happened, opposite of 'almost'.)
|
entirely (Means wholly or fully, without anything missing.)
Themes
daily life
|conversation
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to say that something is very near to happening or being true, but it does not happen or is not true.
Used to indicate that something is very close to happening, being true, or being complete, but is not actually so.
Grammar
Dictionary form
almost
IPA
GB/ˈɔlmˌoʊst/
US/ˈɔlmˌoʊst/
Syllables & stress
al - most (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (al)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: almost
- Plural: almosts
Word family
Forms
almosts
noun
Expressions
almost always
1/ˈɔlmˌoʊst ˈɔlwˌeɪz/
fixed phrase
Happening most of the time
Used to say something happens most times, but not every single time.
Examples
- He is almost always late to meetings.
- We almost always eat dinner at home.
almost never
1/ˈɔlmˌoʊst nˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
Happening very rarely
Used to say something happens on very few occasions, but not zero times.
Examples
- I almost never watch TV.
- She almost never eats meat.
almost certainly
1/ˈɔlmˌoʊst sˈɚtənli/
fixed phrase
Very likely but not certain
Used to say that something is very likely to happen, but it is not 100% sure.
Examples
- She will almost certainly say yes.
- He will almost certainly get the job.
- This will almost certainly cause problems.
- The train is almost certainly late again.