determiner
a a great majority of; nearly all
most people like eggs
b (as pronoun; functioning as sing or pl)
most of them don’t know, most of it is finished
a the superlative of many and much
you have the most money, the most apples
b (as pronoun)
the most he can afford is two pounds
3 ♦
at (the) most at the maximum
that girl is four at the most
4 ♦
for the most part generally
5 ♦
make the most of to use to the best advantage
she makes the most of her accent
6 ♦
than most than most others
the leaves are greener than most
7 ♦
the most
Slang (chiefly U.S.) wonderful
that chick’s the most
adv
8 ♦
the most used to form the superlative of some adjectives and adverbs
the most beautiful daughter of all
9 the superlative of →
much
people welcome a drink most after work
10 (intensifier)
a most absurd story
11 (U.S. and Canadian)
informal or dialect almost
most every town in this state
(Old English mast or mæst, whence Middle English moste, mest; compare Old Frisian maest, Old High German meist, Old Norse mestr)
More and most should be distinguished when used in comparisons. More applies to cases involving two persons, objects, etc., most to cases involving three or more:
John is the more intelligent of the two, he is the most intelligent of the students
English Collins Dictionary — English Definition & Thesaurus 
Collaborative Dictionary English Definition
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core |
n. |
the most important or central part of something |
[US] The core of the book focuses on the period between 1660 and 1857. |
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tops |
adv. |
maximum; no more (or later) than; at the most |
E.g.: You have to be back at 11 o’clock tops; The show lasted one hour tops |
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! formoisie |
n. |
(in neomarxist thought) the second main exploitive social class: The bourgeoisie of formation. The members of the formoisie have human capital, receive high wages (the most frequently thanks to their diplomas) and consume more than the world GDP. (neologism 1993 Yanick Toutain) |
[Hum. Sc.] The formoisie is the social class that created social-democracy and stalinism. |
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! Strillion |
n. |
The Most Ultimate Level Possible , Really Good Scene , Level Beyond Trillion, Beyond Typical |
» Thats A Strillion Car» , «He’s Doing A Strillion Scene», Strillion Outfit |
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bear the brunt |
exp. |
be the most affected by a unpleasant situation; be considered the main responsible for a negative event |
E.g.: If the deadline is not met, the production department will bear the brunt |
|
|
pugmark |
n. |
term used to refer to the footprints of most animals |
||
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homebound |
adj. |
forced by a medical condition to spend most of the time home |
||
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lifelogger |
n. |
someone who, most of the time, carries a device enabling him to capture his day-by-day experiences (such as a photo camera, mobile phone etc.) |
||
|
! tina |
abbr. acron. |
Crystal meth. Methamphetamine. Tina. T, Tea. Ice. Crack. iceTea Do you have Tina? Can I buy some T, from you? What is T? Tina. Tina is T. Ice: synonym, slang most used in North America. |
[Slang];[Chem.];[Med.];[Typ.];[Euph.];[Liter.];[SMS];[World];[Universal] |
|
|
screenager |
n. |
a teenager who spends most of his time in front of a screen (computer, smartphone, tablet, TV) |
||
|
trending topics |
n. |
ideas, matters that people are currently most interested in |
To add entries to your own vocabulary, become a member of Reverso community or login if you are already a member.
It’s easy and only takes a few seconds:
: something of the greatest importance, strength, value, etc.
The most I can give you is $10.
Is that the most you can do?
You’ll need to make wise investments if you want get the most out of your money.
A second chance is the most we can hope for now.
He tries hard, but that’s the most we can say for him.
Dictionary Entries Near the most
Cite this Entry
“The most.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20most. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
If you are going to answer a trivia question about which English word has the most definitions, your answer might depend on when the question was written. The old champion was the word «set,» which had 430 definitions in the Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary published in 1989. This record was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.
In that edition of the OED, the entry for set runs 60,000 words. It beats the others. Here are the runners-up for that edition:
Here’s how the others stack up:
- Run — 396 (definitions)
- Go — 368
- Take — 343
- Stand — 334
- Get — 289
- Turn — 288
- Put — 268
- Fall — 264
- Strike — 250
A New Champion for Number of Definitions
Language doesn’t stand still. While «set» was the champion since the first edition of the OED in 1928 (when it had a meager 200 meanings), it has been overtaken by the word «run.» However, since the next edition of the OED won’t be out until 2037, it hasn’t made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the champion.
According to the OED’s chief editor, John Simpson, «run» has continued to evolve new meanings and had 645 as of 2011. In the interim, the word «put» has outpaced «set» in any case, and even replaces it in many usages. You might «put» something on a table rather than «set» it on a table.
How Should You Answer the Trivia Question?
This brings up a dilemma. How should you answer the question about which English word has the most definitions? If it’s possible to ask what authority has determined the answer, go with the word «set» if it is the second edition of the OED or the Guinness Book of World Records. If not, you may worry that the question is based on the New York Times interview with John Simpson in 2011 or a newer source.
Should You Use This Question in a Trivia Quiz?
If you are designing trivia or word game questions, it’s best just to drop this one as it is a moving target. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, «Modern English includes words from a wide variety of different sources around the world. Patterns of word-borrowing over time reflect the changing demography of its speakers; cultural and economic influences on Britain; the spread of English-speaking explorers, traders, and settlers; and encounters with other cultures.»
The English language has one of the largest vocabularies of all the languages of the world. The Oxford English Dictionary contains more than 600,000 words. They are all in a race to have more and more meanings. Even as new ones are added, older ones fall out of favor. You may not even recognize many of the uses of the words.
If you choose to use this as a question, you should cite which authority you are basing the answer on. Check the current Guinness World Record for a readily-accessible source.
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
- Though the English language has many quirks, one of its most interesting is homographs: words that are spelled identically but have different meanings or definitions.
- There are at least 10 words with hundreds of definitions each, like «go» and «put.»
- «Run» is anticipated to have approximately 645 different meanings in the next Oxford English Dictionary, set for a 2037 release.
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The English language is, indeed, a quirky one: it’s notoriously difficult to learn, and often words have more than one meaning.
Some of these words are called homographs. They’re spelled identically but have vastly different definitions. «Go» has 368, for instance, and «set» has 430. The word «run» is anticipated to have approximately 645 different meanings in the next Oxford English Dictionary, set for a 2037 release.
Keep scrolling to see which 10 words in the English language have the most definitions.
Run: 645 definitions
Syda Productions/Shutterstock
Though there is some debate surrounding the first place position of «run,» as one of the top homographs it has (an anticipated) 645 different definitions, according to a New York Times article from 2011.
The word is widely used to describe various activities: a computer runs a program, a car runs on gas, a candidate runs for office, etc. Of course, as with the rest of the English language, the word continues to evolve.
Set: 430 definitions
Keystone Features/Getty Images
Referred to as the «old chestnut» in the same New York Times article, «set» previously held the top position for the English word with the most definitions.
But «set» «hasn’t undergone as much development in the 20th and 21st centuries as has ‘run,'» Gilliver told the Times. Regardless, «set» holds strong at 430 definitions, per the 1989 O.E.D.
Go: 368 definitions
Prisma by Dukas/UIG via Getty Images
«Go» is one of the most ubiquitous everyday words in the English language. Like many others on this list, it can be a noun, adjective, and verb. It clocked in at 368 definitions in 1989’s O.E.D.
Its top meaning as a verb is «to move from one place to another; travel,» but it can also be «said in various expressions when angrily or contemptuously dismissing someone.» Used in a sentence: «Go and get lost!»
Take: 343 definitions
iStock
The word «take» is described by Merriam-Webster as «to get into one’s hands or into one’s possession, power, or control.» But its meanings stretch across a vast terrain: to «take something in» could also mean «to consider or view in a particular relation.»
It comes in a close fourth place, roughly 20 definitions less than «go:» 343 in the 1989 O.E.D.
Get: 289 definitions
Nicky J Sims/Getty Images
Like «go,» «getting» is one of those commonplace words that we use so much, we don’t even realize how much we use it. We «get» coffee.» We are «getting» dolled up for a date. We «got» a bad grade on that test.
According to the 1989 O.E.D., it has 289 definitions, to be exact.
Turn: 288 definitions
REUTERS/David Gray
The word «turn» is nestled closely behind, with only one less definition than «get.» It can take on many other meanings beyond «moving in a circular direction,» including «passing the age or time of» something. In a sentence: «I turned 40 last year.»
Put: 268 definitions
Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
«In terms of sheer size, the entry for ‘run’ is half as big again as that for ‘put,'» said the New York Times article. But that doesn’t make «put» any less impressive, with exactly 268 definitions in total.
«Put» also may be a reason for «set»‘s decline in popularity, as we tend to use the former in favor of the latter these days. For example: we «put» the drinking glass down, rather than «set» it down.
Fall: 264 definitions
Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Perhaps the most embarrassing of the list (in verb form, that is), «fall» clocks in at about 264 definitions in the O.E.D.
Though we all know fall’s most common definition as a verb — «to descend freely by the force of gravity» — it’s interesting to note that «fall» is also used to refer to lambs giving birth, according to Merriam-Webster.
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english
Language
More…
- Dictionary
- T
- The most
Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [stressed th ee mohst]
- /stressed ði moʊst/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [stressed th ee mohst]
- /stressed ði moʊst/
Definitions of the most words
- adverb the most more than any other 1
- adjective the most outstanding 1
- noun the most (as pronoun) 0
- noun the most wonderful 0
- noun the most used to form the superlative of some adjectives and adverbs 0
- noun the most the best or most exciting, attractive, etc. 0
Information block about the term
Parts of speech for The most
the most popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 100% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between «mom» and «screwdriver».
See also
- All definitions of the most
- Sentences with the word the most
Matching words
- Words starting with t
- Words starting with th
- Words starting with the
- Words starting with them
- Words starting with themo
- Words starting with themos
- Words starting with themost
- Words ending with t
- Words ending with st
- Words ending with ost
- Words ending with most
- Words containing the letters t
- Words containing the letters t,h
- Words containing the letters t,h,e
- Words containing the letters t,h,e,m
- Words containing the letters t,h,e,m,o
- Words containing the letters t,h,e,m,o,s
- Words containing t
- Words containing th
- Words containing the
- Words containing them
- Words containing themo
- Words containing themos