English Explanatory Dictionary

least

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
  2. Chiefly used with abstract nouns: less than all others in extent or size; littlest, smallest.
  3. Of two or more animals or plants with the same name: the smaller or smallest.
  4. Lowest in importance or status; most insignificant or unimportant.
  5. Followed by an agent noun: of a person: who does some action to the smallest degree.
det
  1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little.
  2. Smallest in amount or extent.
  3. Followed by a plural noun: the smallest number of; the fewest.
  4. Any, no matter how small in amount or extent.
adv
  1. In a degree below all others; in the lowest or smallest degree.
  2. Used to form superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.
noun
  1. Preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the lowest-ranking or most insignificant person or (sometimes) group of people.
  2. Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit; a minimum.
pron
  1. Chiefly preceded by the: superlative form of little: most little; the smallest amount or extent of something.
prep_phrase
  1. At least.

Pronunciation

/liːst/ /list/ En-us-least.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-least.wav

Word forms

least leasts 'least

Etymology

The adjective, determiner, and noun are derived from Middle English leste, lest, last (“(adjective) smallest, least; (noun) smallest thing, etc.; person or thing least in importance; etc.”), from Old English lǣst, a contraction of læsast, læsest (“least”) (also lærest in only one source), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest, least”), from *laisiz (“less”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *leh₂is- or *leh₃is-; whence modern English less) + *-istaz (“suffix forming superlative forms of some adjectives”). The adverb and pronoun are derived from the adjective or determiner. cognates * Old Frisian leist * Old Saxon lēs

Synonyms

slightest

Antonyms

greatest most

Derived words

Antigua least gecko at very least Fermat's principle of least time least auklet least bittern least boobook least common denominator least common multiple least count least finger least flycatcher least resistance least sandpiper least shrew least significant bit least significant byte least squares least tern least upper bound least weasel least willow line of least resistance log-linear least-squares method method of least squares path of least resistance principle of least action principle of least astonishment principle of least knowledge principle of least surprise principle of least time alderleast at least at the least at the very least in the least last but not least leastness least of all leastwise least worst not in the least not least to say the least
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