most
gb/mˈoʊst/ us/mˈoʊst/
A1
English
~ 300
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
property
1
greatest in quantity or extent
Having more than anything or anyone else.
Usage pattern:
the most [adjective/noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget to use 'the' before 'most' when making superlatives (e.g., saying 'most big' instead of 'the biggest' or 'the most big').
Synonyms
greatest (Slightly more formal and often used for significance or achievement.)
|
highest (Often used for measurable scales like temperature or rank.)
Antonyms
least (Indicates the smallest amount or degree.)
Collocations
the most important
|the most money
|the most popular
Themes
comparison
|measurement
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She has the most experience in the team.
- This is the most expensive restaurant in town.
- I got the most votes in the election.
Learner examples
- He runs the most miles every day.
- This shop has the most toys.
- She eats the most fruit.
adverb
A2
property
2
to the greatest extent
More than anything else.
Usage pattern:
most [adjective/adverb]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'most' as an adverb with 'almost' and use them interchangeably, which is incorrect.
Synonyms
extremely (Focuses on intensity but not necessarily in comparison with others.)
Antonyms
least (Indicates the lowest degree or extent.)
Collocations
most interesting
|most quickly
|most likely
Themes
comparison
|emphasis
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This is the movie I enjoyed most.
- She works most efficiently in the morning.
- The part I liked most was the ending.
Learner examples
- I like pizza most.
- He runs fastest when it rains most.
- She smiles most in summer.
determiner
A1
quantity
3
the majority of something
More than half of a group or amount.
Usage pattern:
most [plural noun/uncountable noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'most' with 'almost all'. While similar, 'almost all' means very close to all but not necessarily more than half in exact terms.
Synonyms
majority of (More formal and precise, often used in statistics or politics.)
Antonyms
minority of (Indicates less than half of a group.)
Collocations
most people
|most water
|most countries
Themes
quantities
|statistics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Most students passed the exam.
- Most water on Earth is in the oceans.
- Most houses here are old.
Learner examples
- Most cats like milk.
- Most people have phones.
- Most bread is made from wheat.
pronoun
A2
quantity
4
majority portion of something mentioned
The largest part of something we talked about before.
Synonyms
the majority (More formal and specific, often used in official contexts.)
Antonyms
minority (Indicates a smaller portion compared to the whole.)
Collocations
most of them
|most of it
Themes
quantities
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I ate some cake but left most.
- Most were happy with the decision.
- We sold most of what we brought.
Learner examples
- I drank some juice but left most.
- Most are ready for class.
- She read some pages but not most.
Grammar
Dictionary form
most
IPA
GB/mˈoʊst/
US/mˈoʊst/
Syllables & stress
most (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (most)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: most
- Comparative: moster
- Superlative: mostest
Word family
Expressions
at most
1/ˈæt mˈoʊst/
fixed phrase
no more than stated amount
Not more than a number or amount.
Examples
- There were ten people at most in the room.
- It will take an hour at most to finish.
at the (very) most
1/ˈæt ðə vˈɛɹi mˈoʊst/
fixed phrase
absolutely no more than stated maximum
Not more than a certain number, for sure.
Examples
- It will cost $50 at the very most.
- There were twenty people at the very most.
for the most part
1/fɚ ðə mˈoʊst pˈɑɹt/
fixed phrase
generally but not always true
Usually true, but not always.
Examples
- For the most part, the meeting went well.
- The team played well, for the most part.
make the most of [something]
1/mˈeɪk ðə mˈoʊst əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
use something fully and well
To use something in the best way possible.
Examples
- We should make the most of this sunny day.
- She made the most of her time in Paris.