The Meaning of Utmost: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of utmost? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word utmost, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word utmost mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word utmost is an adjective which means the farthest limit, quantity, highest degree, greatest possible degree, or greatest power. If something is at its utmost, it is at its highest attainable point or intensity. Many things can be done or held at their utmost, including upmost importance, utmost respect, the utmost tip of the peninsula, the utmost misery, a matter of the utmost importance, the utmost furthest reaches of space, the farthest frontier of the ocean, the utmost degree, utmost caution, utmost contempt, uttermost distress, utmost town, utmost seriousness, utmost urgency, the utmost ends of the earth, the utmost reluctance, utmost speed, utmost skill, utmost ease, utmost assiduity, utmost harmony, utmost limits of the land, and more.

Many different languages also contain words that mean utmost. Check out this list of translations of utmost from Word Sense, a Spanish Dictionary, French electronic resource, German Dictionary, Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary, and more.

  •  Telugu: గరిష్ఠం‎ (garishThaM)
  •  Maori: mōrahi‎
  •  Spanish: máximo‎
  •  French: maximum‎ (masc.)
  •  Mandarin: 最大‎ (zuìdà), 極大‎, 极大‎ (jídà)
  •  Esperanto: maksimumo‎
  •  Finnish: maksimi‎
  •  Czech: maximum‎ (neut.)
  •  Malay: maksimum‎
  •  Welsh: uchafswm‎
  •  Persian: بیشینه‎ (bišine), ماکسیمم‎ (mâksimom)
  •  Armenian: մաքսիմում‎
  •  Ido: maximo‎
  •  Romanian: maximum‎, maxim‎ (neut.)
  •  Russian: ма́ксимум‎ (masc.)
  •  Turkish: en fazla‎
  •  Portuguese: máximo‎ (masc.)
  •  Greek: ανώτατο όριο‎ (neut.), άκρον άωτον‎ (neut.)
  •  Italian: massimo‎ (masc.)
  •  Latin: maximum‎
  •  Hebrew: מַכְּסִימוּם‎, מֵרַב‎
  •  German: Maximum‎ (neut.), höchstmöglich‎
  •  Japanese: 最大‎ (さいだい, saidai), 極大‎ (きょくだい, kyokudai)

See if you can decipher what languages the following words are in!

uiteinde أقْصى، أعْظَم най-отдалечен extremo nejzazší äußerst yderst έσχατος , ο πιο απομακρυσμένος extremo kaugeim دورترین äärimmäinen le plus éloigné קיצוני अधिकतम, परिमाण, पराकाष्ठा najdalji, krajnji legtávolabbi paling jauh ystur, fjarlægastur estremo 最も遠い 가장 먼 tolimiausias galējais; visattālākais sangat uiterst ytterste najdalszy زښت ډېر، ډېر لرې، بې شمېره، بې كچه extremo cel mai îndepărtat самый отдалённый krajný, hraničný najbolj oddaljen krajnji ytterst ไกลที่สุด en uzak, en nihayette 最遠的 найвіддаленіший نہايت vô cùng 最远的 uiterste الأعْظَم، أقصى ما يُمْكِن максимален extremo co největší äußerst yderst υπέρτατος , μέγιστος extremo , mayor suurim بیشترین äärimmäinen le plus grand מַרבִּית הַיכוֹלֶת अधिकतम krajnji, najveći (a lehető) legnagyobb paling besar mestur, ÿtrastur il massimo 最大の 최대의 didžiausias maksimālais; vislielākais sebaik-baiknya uiterst ytterst , så mye som mulig największy بې شمېره extremo cel mai mare предельный čo najväčší največji najveći mogući ytterst ที่สุด en büyük 最大可能的 найбільший حد سے زيادہ cực kì 最可能的 uiterste bes doen يَبْذُل قُصارى جُهْدِه възможно най-висша степен fazer o máximo udělat vše sein äußerstes tun gøre sit bedste κάνω ό,τι μπορώ hacer todo lo posible kõike võimalikku tegema تمام تلاش خود را کردن tehdä kaikkensa faire tout son possible מֵיטָב הַיכוֹלֶת अधिकतम संभव dati najviše od sebe minden tőle telhetőt megtesz berusaha sekerasnya gera sitt ÿtrasta (fare tutto il possibile) 最善を尽くす 전력을 다하다 padaryti viską, kas įmanoma darīt visu iespējamo sedaya-upaya zijn uiterste best doen gjøre sitt ytterste zrobić wszystko co w (czyjejś) mocy خپل ټول كوښښ كول fazer o máximo a face imposibilul делать всё возможное urobiť všetko narediti največ, kar se zmore učiniti sve što je moguće göra sitt yttersta ทำให้ดีที่สุด elinden geleni yapmak 盡全力 зробити все можливе انتہائي کوشش کرنا cố gắng hết sức 尽全力 ick wirklick nicht tun sein möglichstes vislielākais sebaik-baiknya uiterst ytterst wir haben unser bestmöglichstes lo mejor que queda sollte das leben mayor suurim بیشترین äärimmäinen le della massima importanza respekt vor ihm ​​mit allergrößtem widerwillen sorgfältig wie nur möglich ich habe den ÿtrastur il massimo 最大の sie taten ihr äußerstes um etw zu tun estremamente importante che er strapazierte meine geduld aufs äußerste gut man nur kann es ist äußerst wichtig bestes tun er vertraut ihnen voll und ganz висша степен fazer o máximo udělat vše sein äußerstes tun максимален extremo co největší äußerst yderst υπέρτατος  så mye som mulig największy بې شمېره extremo cel mai tutta velocità lehető legnagyobb परिमाण mare предельный čo najväčší največji najveći mogući ytterst ที่สุด en  versuchen candour höchste extrême Největšínejzazší büyük didžiausias maksimālais äußerster dringlichkeit ich kann ihnen que puede hacer uno vollen zügen genießen äußerster wichtigkeit dass um ihm zu helfen lo mejor que pueda ick wirklick night tun

What are synonyms and antonyms of the word utmost?

There are numerous different words in the English language that have the same meaning as the word utmost. These are called synonyms. Synonyms can be used in place of a certain word, and are useful to know because they can help expand your vocabulary and help you avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms of utmost is provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  point
  •  bitter end
  •  pre-eminent
  •  ultimate
  •  furthest point
  •  utmost extent
  •  greatest
  •  largest
  •  higher
  •  cutoff point
  •  best effort
  •  furthest
  •  topmost
  •  ceiling
  •  maxima
  •  level best
  •  pinnacle
  •  paramount
  •  aftermost
  •  farthest reach
  •  ultra
  •  biggest
  •  great
  •  summit
  •  peak
  •  outmost
  •  maxi
  •  extent
  •  furthermost
  •  extraordinary
  •  full
  •  complete
  •  absolute
  •  top
  •  uttermost
  •  acute
  •  finest
  •  superlative
  •  farthermost
  •  upper limit
  •  supreme
  •  terminal
  •  foremost
  •  outermost
  •  extreme case
  •  total
  •  maximum effort
  •  too much
  •  main
  •  hardest
  •  prime
  •  crucial
  •  ne plus ultra
  •  last
  •  hindmost
  •  acme
  •  possible
  •  extremity
  •  greatest extent
  •  greater
  •  end point
  •  height
  •  best
  •  maximum
  •  greatest possible
  •  unequalable
  •  incomparable
  •  high
  •  limits
  •  far-off
  •  climax
  •  farthest
  •  most
  •  highest
  •  radical
  •  severe
  •  outside
  •  final
  •  vital
  •  maximal
  •  highest point
  •  apex
  •  max
  •  uppermost
  •  remotest
  •  extreme
  •  end
  •  limit
  •  apogee
  •  maxis
  •  preeminent
  •  zenith
  •  nth
  •  edge
  •  nth degree
  •  breaking point
  •  upper
  •  upmost
  •  extremely
  •  major

There are also many different words that mean the opposite of the word utmost. These are called antonyms, which are another great way to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms of utmost is also provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  immaterial
  •  lowest level
  •  depth
  •  lowest limit
  •  minimal
  •  frivolous
  •  lower bound
  •  dinky
  •  minimum
  •  beginning
  •  lower end
  •  auxiliary
  •  low
  •  bottom boundary
  •  inferior
  •  less predominant
  •  middle
  •  ancillary
  •  bottom
  •  rock bottom
  •  inconsequential
  •  lower boundary
  •  slightest
  •  extraneous
  •  lowest
  •  fairly common
  •  incipient
  •  mild
  •  in between
  •  inconsiderable
  •  extra
  •  attendant
  •  minimum limit
  •  irrelevant
  •  lower limit
  •  insignificant
  •  central
  •  insubstantial
  •  nadir
  •  moderate
  •  bottom level
  •  lowest point
  •  deepest
  •  additional
  •  base
  •  minimum level
  •  lesser
  •  footling
  •  bottom border
  •  least

Overall, the word utmost is a Middle English superlative adjective which means to the last degree, greatest possible amount, greatest possible effort, or great distance. This word is Latin in origin.

Sources:

  1. Utmost synonyms – 874 Words and Phrases for Utmost | Power Thesaurus 
  2. utmost: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  3. Utmost antonyms – 261 Opposites of Utmost | Power Thesaurus 
  4. Utmost – definition of utmost | The Free Dictionary  
  5. Utmost definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary