Definitions for least
listleast

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.0 / 8 votes

1. leastadjective

   something that is of no importance

   "it is the least I can do"; "that is the least of my concerns"

2. least(a)adverb

   the superlative of `little' that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by `the'; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

   "didn't care the least bit"; "he has the least talent of anyone"

3. least, to the lowest degreeadverb

   used to form the superlative

   "The garter snake is the least dangerous snake"

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 2 votes

1. leastadverb

   Used for forming superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.

   It was the least surprising thing.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Leastadj. the superlative of little.

   Little beyond others; smallest.

   Etymology: læst , Saxon.

   I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies shewed to thy servant. Gen. xxxii. 10.

   A man can no more have a positive idea of the greatest than he has of the least space. John Locke.

2. Leastadverb

   In the lowest degree; in a degree below others; less than any other way.

   He resolv’d to wave his suit,
   Or for a while play least in sight. Hudibras, p. i.

   Ev’n that avert; I chuse it not;
   But taste it as the least unhappy lot. John Dryden, Knight’s Tale.

   No man more truly knows to place a right value on your friendship, than he who least deserves it on all other accounts than his due sense of it. Alexander Pope, Letters.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. least

   Comparison is a feature in the morphology or syntax of some languages whereby adjectives and adverbs are rendered in an inflected or periphrastic way to indicate a comparative degree, property, quality, or quantity of a corresponding word, phrase, or clause. A superlative construction expresses the greatest quality, quantity, or degree relative to all other comparators. The associated grammatical category is degree of comparison. The usual degrees of comparison are the positive, which simply denotes a property (as with the English words big and fully); the comparative, which indicates greater degree (as bigger and more fully); and the superlative, which indicates greatest degree (as biggest and most fully). Some languages have forms indicating a very large degree of a particular quality (called elative in Semitic linguistics). Other languages (e.g. English) can express lesser degree, e.g. beautiful, less beautiful, least beautiful. The comparative degrees are frequently associated with adjectives and adverbs because these words take the -er suffix or modifying word more or less. (e.g., faster, more intelligent, less wasteful). Comparison can also, however, appear when no adjective or adverb is present, for instance with nouns (e.g., more men than women). However, the usage of the word than between nouns simply denotes a comparison made and not degree of comparison comparing the intensity or the extent of the subjects. One preposition, near, also has comparative and superlative forms, as in Find the restaurant nearest your house.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. least

   Least can be defined as the smallest in amount, extent, or importance; the lowest or smallest possible or necessary.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 5 votes

1. Leastadjective

   smallest, either in size or degree; shortest; lowest; most unimportant; as, the least insect; the least mercy; the least space

2. Leastadverb

   in the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others; as, to reward those who least deserve it

3. Least

   see Lest, conj

4. Etymology: [OE. last, lest, AS. lsast, lsest, superl. of lssa less. See Less, a.]

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 2 votes

1. Least

   lēst, adj. (serves as superl. of Little) little beyond all others: smallest.—adv. in the smallest or lowest degree.—advs. Least′ways, Least′wise, at least: however.—At least, or At the least, at the lowest estimate: at any rate. [A.S. læst, contr. from læsast, from læssa (adj.), less, læs (adv.).]

2. Least

   lēst, conj. (Spens.). Same as Lest.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Least

   Last vs. Least -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Last and Least.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'least' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2292

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'least' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3617

3. Adverbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'least' in Adverbs Frequency: #186

Anagrams for least »

1. astel

2. lates

3. leats

4. salet

5. setal

6. slate

7. stale

8. steal

9. stela

10. taels

11. tales

12. teals

13. tesla

How to pronounce least?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say least in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of least in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of least in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

Examples of least in a Sentence

1. Jimmy Galvin:

   I do know that, which is comforting, i have spoken with Katie Ballard about that and that’s the least of my worries, I only care about Sam anted eosinophilic meningo-encephalitis, from which many people recover — and, initially at least, Sam seemed to be rallying.d his family and what we do in this situation, what we are doing in the future. My feelings are irrelevant to be honest.

2. Sajad Jiyad:

   Turkey sees Mosul and northern Iraq as a sphere of influence, a buffer zone, an area where it needs to have a military presence, they feel they need to be in control of that border area between Iraq, Turkey and Syria, or at least know what's going on.

3. Kate Bahn:

   Cooling the economy, the way the Fed is intentionally doing to mitigate inflation, it’s going to be those marginalized workers or workers with the least power who will lose initially, so that might be some of what we’re seeing there as well.

4. Steve Brusatte:

   The reason why the site is so important is that these footprints were made in a lagoon. We know from the geology this was a lagoon, sauropods were making their foot prints while they were wading in the water … We have three different layers so that is three different time intervals. This is telling us these huge dinosaurs lived or at least moved through these lagoons fairly regularly over time. This was a normal part of their repertoire.

5. Albert Einstein:

   The difference between what the most and the least learned people know is inexpressibly trivial in relation to that which is unknown.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=least
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Least
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=least
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/least
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=least