least
Pronunciation change
Determiner change
- (indefinite) (singular) (non-count) the smallest amount of; little of
- She does the most cleaning, but the least cooking.
- No German, least of all the East Germans, wanted Soviet troops to stay.
- There are at least four problems with the idea.
- Nobody works hard, but she does the least.
Synonyms change
Antonyms change
Related words change
Adverb change
|
Positive |
Comparative |
Superlative |
- Having the smallest amount of a characteristic in a group.
- Antonym: most
- People are least likely to live in the far north.
- The phone always rings just when you least expect it.
Adjective change
|
Positive |
Comparative |
- The least is the smallest amount, importance, duration, etc.
- Antonym: greatest
- The power is least in this case.
- The least difference is still important.
- He was not the least bit interested my ideas.
- This accident is the least of our problems.
Usage change
Least describes the negative superlative form of all comparable adjectives. For example, with the adjective intelligent, the negative superlative is least intelligent. A similar form is the negative comparative (as in less intelligent).