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

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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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. Henry Fielding, "Jonathan Wild":

   He, in a few minutes ravished this fair creature, or at least would have ravished her, if she had not, by a timely compliance, prevented him.

2. Benjamin Lessing:

   Most of the violence has been in this region, the north and the northeast region, and it's a place where these gangs are actively fighting each other to achieve some kind of local hegemony or at least carve out space, it doesn't mean these gangs don't exist in the rest of Brazil -- they do, and there's violence in other parts of Brazil too related to these gangs. But it seems like where the fighting is very intense right now is in this north-northeast region.

3. Robert Smith:

   New data also show very clearly that a substantial fraction of adults are not willing to undergo colonoscopy and thus recommendations to get a colonoscopy in this group will go unheeded, the data also show that many of these adults will accept stool testing, and thus achieving high rates of colorectal cancer screening in the practice setting requires providing at least the option for colonoscopy or, ideally, a high sensitivity FIT.

4. Gabriel Sterling:

   Human beings are looking because, as you know, one of the big complaints is these machines somehow flipped votes or changed votes or did stuff. They didn't, at least not in Georgia, we proved it.

5. Staff Gen. David Goldfein:

   If you heard jet noises driving into the Capitol, it was likely the F-16s from the 113th Air National Guard Wing at Andrews, i learned just walking in this morning that we lost an F-16 from that wing this morning. I'm proud to say at least the news reports are telling us the pilot got out and he's OK.

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
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=least