LEAST
What does "LEAST" mean?
Smallest in size, amount, or degree; the superlative of 'little'.
Meanings
- Smallest or lowest in importance, amount, or degree. He chose the least expensive option on the menu.
- To the smallest extent or degree. She was the least surprised of anyone in the room.
- The smallest amount or thing, often in 'at least' or 'the least'. The least you could do is apologize.
Word origin
From Old English 'læst', a contraction of 'læsest', the superlative of 'læs' meaning less; the irregular series little-less-least has no shared root with 'little'.
Remember it
LEAST is the end of the line LESS-LEAST: smaller, then smallest. It even hides 'EAT' - the least you can eat.
A little poem
The smallest of stones
still casts a ring on the pond-
least is not nothing.
haiku
Wordplay
- I gave it the least amount of effort and still finished last. At least I'm consistent.
What it teaches
'The least you can do' is usually the exact thing worth doing - the floor of decency holds the most weight.
Quick facts
What does LEAST mean?
Smallest in size, amount, or degree; the superlative of 'little'.
Is LEAST a valid word?
Yes — LEAST is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is LEAST?
LEAST has 5 letters and 1 syllable.
Where does LEAST come from?
From Old English 'læst', a contraction of 'læsest', the superlative of 'læs' meaning less; the irregular series little-less-least has no shared root with 'little'.
What can LEAST teach us?
'The least you can do' is usually the exact thing worth doing - the floor of decency holds the most weight.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.