last

¹

[ last, lahst ]

adjective

1. occurring or coming after all others, as in time, order, or place:

   the last line on a page.

2. most recent; next before the present; latest:

   last week; last Friday.

3. being the only one remaining:

   my last dollar; the last outpost; a last chance.

4. final:

   in his last hours.

5. ultimate or conclusive; definitive:

   the last word in the argument.

6. lowest in prestige or importance:

   last prize.

7. coming after all others in suitability or likelihood; least desirable:

   He is the last person we'd want to represent us.

8. individual; single:

   The lecture won't start until every last person is seated.

9. utmost; extreme:

   the last degree of delight.

10. Ecclesiastical. (of the sacraments of penance, viaticum, or extreme unction) extreme or final; administered to a person dying or in danger of dying.

adverb

1. after all others; latest:

   He arrived last at the party.

2. on the most recent occasion:

   When last seen, the suspect was wearing a checked suit.

3. in the end; finally; in conclusion.

noun

1. a person or thing that is last.
2. a final appearance or mention:

   We've seen the last of her. That's the last we'll hear of it.

3. the end or conclusion:

   We are going on vacation the last of September.

last

²

[ last, lahst ]

verb (used without object)

1. to go on or continue in time:

   The festival lasted three weeks.

2. to continue unexpended or unexhausted; be enough:

   We'll enjoy ourselves while our money lasts.

3. to continue in force, vigor, effectiveness, etc.:

   to last for the whole course.

4. to continue or remain in usable condition for a reasonable period of time:

   They were handsome shoes but they didn't last.

verb (used with object)

1. to continue to survive for the duration of (often followed by out ):

   They lasted the war in Switzerland.

last

³

[ last, lahst ]

noun

1. a wooden or metal form in the shape of the human foot on which boots or shoes are shaped or repaired.
2. the shape or form of a shoe.

verb (used with object)

1. to shape on or fit to a last.

last

⁴

[ last, lahst ]

noun

1. any of various large units of weight or capacity, varying in amount in different localities and for different commodities, often equivalent to 4,000 pounds (1,814.37 kilograms).

last

¹

/ lɑːst /

adjective

1. being, happening, or coming at the end or after all others

   the last horse in the race

2. being or occurring just before the present; most recent

   last Thursday

3. last but not least
   coming last in order but nevertheless important
4. last but one
   next to last
5. only remaining

   one's last cigarette

6. most extreme; utmost
7. least suitable, appropriate, or likely

   he was the last person I would have chosen

8. esp relating to the end of a person's life or of the world
   1. final or ultimate

      last rites

   2. ( capital )

      the Last Judgment

9. dialect.
   postpositive inferior, unpleasant, or contemptible

   this ale is last

adverb

1. after all others; at or in the end

   he came last

2. 1. most recently

      he was last seen in the mountains

   2. ( in combination )

      last-mentioned

3. sentence modifier as the last or latest item

noun

1. the last
   1. a person or thing that is last
   2. the final moment; end
2. one's last moments before death
3. the last thing a person can do (esp in the phrase breathe one's last )
4. the final appearance, mention, or occurrence

   we've seen the last of him

5. at last
   in the end; finally
6. at long last
   finally, after difficulty, delay, or irritation

last

²

/ lɑːst /

verb

1. whenintr, often foll by for to remain in being (for a length of time); continue

   his hatred lasted for several years

2. to be sufficient for the needs of (a person) for (a length of time)

   it will last us until Friday

3. whenintr, often foll by for to remain fresh, uninjured, or unaltered (for a certain time or duration)

   he lasted for three hours underground

last

³

/ lɑːst /

noun

1. a unit of weight or capacity having various values in different places and for different commodities. Commonly used values are 2 tons, 2000 pounds, 80 bushels, or 640 gallons

last

⁴

/ lɑːst /

noun

1. the wooden or metal form on which a shoe or boot is fashioned or repaired

verb

1. tr to fit (a shoe or boot) on a last

Usage

Since last can mean either after all others or most recent, it is better to avoid using this word where ambiguity might arise as in her last novel. Final or latest should be used in such contexts to avoid ambiguity

Derived Forms

• ˈlaster, noun
• ˈlaster, noun

Other Words From

• laster noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of last¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English last, latst, syncopated variant of latest, Old English latest, lætest, superlative of læt; late

Origin of last²

First recorded before 900; Middle English lasten, Old English lǣstan “to follow (literally, go in the tracks of ), perform, continue, last”; cognate with German laisten “to follow,” Gothic laistjan. See last ³

Origin of last³

First recorded before 900; Middle English lest(e), last(e), Old English lǣste; cognate with German Leisten; akin to Old English lāst, Gothic laists “track”

Origin of last⁴

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hlæst; cognate with Dutch last, German Last “load”; akin to lade

Word History and Origins

Origin of last¹

variant of Old English latest, lætest, superlative of late

Origin of last²

Old English lǣstan; related to Gothic laistjan to follow

Origin of last³

Old English hlæst load; related to hladan to lade ¹

Origin of last⁴

Old English lǣste, from lāst footprint; related to Old Norse leistr foot, Gothic laists

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at last, after a lengthy pause or delay:

   He was lost in thought for several minutes, but at last he spoke.

2. at long last, after much troublesome or frustrating delay:

   The ship docked at long last.

3. breathe one's last, to die:

   He was nearly 90 when he breathed his last.

4. stick to one's last, to keep to that work, field, etc., in which one is competent or skilled.

More idioms and phrases containing last

• at last
• at the last minute
• breathe one's last
• each and every (last one)
• famous last words
• first and last
• head for (the last roundup)
• in the final (last) analysis
• on one's last legs
• see the last of
• stick to one's last
• to the last

Synonym Study

Last, final, ultimate refer to what comes as an ending. That which is last comes or stands after all others in a stated series or succession; last may refer to objects or activities: a seat in the last row; the last game. That which is final comes at the end, or serves to end or terminate, admitting of nothing further; final is rarely used of objects: to make a final attempt. That which is ultimate (literally, most remote) is the last that can be reached, as in progression or regression, experience, or a course of investigation: ultimate truths.

See continue.

Example Sentences

Party sources confirmed there would be a confidence vote shortly after a small group of Tory MSs went to see Mr Davies at his office in Cardiff Bay last Thursday.

From BBC

Tyler Kerry was last seen by his brother and cousin asleep on a sofa in the hotel's lobby.

From BBC

"This government inherited a deeply troubling situation that remained unresolved under the last administration for years," the spokesperson said.

From BBC

At the Kerem Shalom crossing, Israel’s main crossing point with Gaza, last week journalists were shown lorries moving goods that had gone through security checks.

From BBC

Independent expert testing carried out on behalf of the programme at the beach last week found levels of potentially harmful bacteria, well in excess of legal limits for bathing water.

From BBC

Related Words

• remain
• survive

More About Last

What is a basic definition of last?

Last describes something as being the final in a series or being the most recent occurrence of something. Last also means to take place over a certain length of time. Last has many other senses.

If something is last, it is the finalizer or terminating point. Nothing else will follow after something that is last. Last can apply to anything that involves a series, amount, or order. This sense of last is a superlative of late.

• Real-life examples: When you take the last scoop of ice cream from a container, there will be no more ice cream in the container. The last stop on a bus route is the final one the driver will make before returning to the station or repeating a loop. If you are down to your last dollar, you only have one dollar remaining.
• Used in a sentence: Jonah was behind all the other runners and finished the race last.

Last can also describe something as being the most recent thing that happened or was closest to the current moment. For example, the last person you talked to is the person you spoke to most recently. You’ve spoken to no one else since then. This sense of last is a synonym of the word latest.

• Real-life examples: The night that just happened was last night. The week before this current one was last week. The last thing you ate was the most recent food you ate.
• Used in a sentence: Last year I struggled in math, but this year I understand it much better.

As a verb, last can mean to continue for an amount of time. For example, if a festival lasts for a week, then it goes on for a week before ending.

• Real-life examples: Many television shows last 30 minutes (including the commercials). A party might last all night. A very boring lecture may seem to last forever.
• Used in a sentence: The carnival came to town and lasted all weekend.

In a similar sense, last can mean to exist or be in supply for a certain length of time.

• Used in a sentence: They only have enough water to last for two days.

Where does last come from?

The first records of last come from before the 900s. The adjective form is a variation of the Old English lætest (latest). The verb form comes from the Old English lǣstan, meaning “to follow” or “to go in the tracks of.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to last?

• lastly (adverb)
• laster (noun)

What are some synonyms for last?

• final
• closing
• ending
• latest
• continue

What are some words that share a root or word element with last? 

• late
• lastly
• last call
• last but not least
• last-gasp
• the last straw

What are some words that often get used in discussing last?

• time
• night
• week
• year

How is last used in real life?

Last is a very common word with many different senses. It most often describes something as being the final of something or as being the most recent.

This close to losing it when someone steals the last slice:

🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏
🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏
🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏
🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏
🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏
🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏🤏

— Domino's Pizza (@dominos) September 17, 2020

If you can’t tell by the tone of my last tweet, I’m watching Die Hard 😂 I think I’m absorbing McClane by osmosis.

— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) December 17, 2020

Office for National Statistics estimates 567,300 people in England had COVID-19 last week compared to 481,500 the previous week

— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) December 18, 2020

Try using last!

True or False?

The letter Z is the last letter in the English alphabet.