almost

American  

[awl-mohst, awl-mohst] / ˈɔl moʊst, ɔlˈmoʊst /

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.

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almost British  

/ ˈɔːlməʊst /

adverb

1. little short of being; very nearly

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Usage

See most.

Related Words

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.

Etymology

Origin of almost

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

Example Sentences

Gorgeously produced with a cornucopia of photos and movie stills, this tome clocks in at 501 pages and answers almost every question you ever had about the legendary filmmaker.

From The Wall Street Journal

Amid fears of stagflation, persistently high interest rates and a weakening labor market, our mood changes almost on a daily basis.

From The Wall Street Journal

"The disappointment is profound, but the country is not only disappointed but almost disillusioned. It's as if a new generation no longer knows what it means to cheer for their country."

From BBC

But instead of peak snow, there’s almost none.

From Los Angeles Times

If all goes according to plan, the four will travel a total of almost 700,000 miles External link and travel farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone.

From Barron's

Related Words

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