almost

[ awl-mohst, awl-mohst ]

adverb

1. very nearly; all but:

   almost every house; almost the entire symphony; to pay almost nothing for a car; almost twice as many books.

almost

/ ˈɔːlməʊst /

adverb

1. little short of being; very nearly

Usage Note

See most.

Word History and Origins

Origin of almost¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English almost, almast, almest, Old English eall(e) mǣst “nearly all”

Synonym Study

Almost, most, nearly, well-nigh all mean within a small degree of or short space of. Almost implies very little short of: almost exhausted; almost home. Most is colloquial for almost. Nearly implies a slightly greater distance or degree than almost : nearly well; nearly to the city. Well-nigh, a more literary word, implies a barely appreciable distance or extent: well-nigh forgotten; well-nigh home.

Example Sentences

In “Slow Horses,” those with the plummiest accents are almost always the least trustworthy.

From Los Angeles Times

It allowed Tottenham to repeatedly drive through open spaces and score almost at will.

From BBC

The campaign itself is remembered for little else, as Labour was returned to power with almost as large a Commons majority as four years earlier.

From BBC

The Merthyr date brings flashbacks to a gig the Pistols played a few miles away in Caerphilly almost 48 years ago at the height of their notoriety.

From BBC

It was almost as if he never left Baltimore.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• about
• approximately
• around
• essentially
• most
• much
• practically
• relatively
• roughly
• virtually