last

1 of 6

verb (1)

ˈlast 

lasted; lasting; lasts

intransitive verb

1

: to continue in time

The movie lasted about two hours.

2

a

: to remain fresh or unimpaired : endure

That paint job should last a long time.

b

: to manage to continue (as in a course of action)

She won't last; she'll quit before the week's out.

c

: to continue to live

he will not last very much longer

—James Dennis

transitive verb

1

: to be enough for the needs of

The supplies will last them a week.

2

: to continue in existence or action as long as or longer than

—often used with out

couldn't last out the training program

last

2 of 6

adjective

1

a

: following all the rest

He was the last one out.

b

: being the only remaining

our last dollar

2

: belonging to the final stage (as of life)

her last hours on earth

3

a

: next before the present : most recent

last week

His last book was a failure.

b

: most up-to-date : latest

It's the last thing in fashion.

4

a

: farthest from a specified quality, attitude, or likelihood

would be the last person to fall for flattery

b

: lowest in rank or standing

also : worst

5

a

: distinct, separate

—used as an intensive

ate every last piece of food

b

: conclusive

There is no last answer to the problem.

c

: highest in degree : supreme, ultimate

lastly adverb

last

3 of 6

adverb

1

: after all others : at the end

came last and left first

2

: most lately

saw her last in Rome

3

: in conclusion

Last, let's consider the social aspect.

last

4 of 6

noun (1)

: something that is last

last

5 of 6

noun (2)

: a form (as of metal or plastic) which is shaped like the human foot and over which a shoe is shaped or repaired

Illustration of last

• ⁵last

last

6 of 6

verb (2)

lasted; lasting; lasts

transitive verb

: to shape with a last

Phrases

at last or at long last

: at the end of a period of time : finally

At last you've come home.

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• hold out
• hold up
• keep up
• prevail
• survive

Adjective

• bottommost
• closing
• concluding
• final
• hindmost
• lag
• latest
• latter
• rearmost
• terminal
• terminating
• ultimate

Choose the Right Synonym for last

Verb (1)

continue, last, endure, abide, persist mean to exist over a period of time or indefinitely.

continue applies to a process going on without ending.

the search for peace will continue

last, especially when unqualified, may stress existing beyond what is normal or expected.

buy shoes that will last

endure adds an implication of resisting destructive forces or agencies.

in spite of everything, her faith endured

abide implies stable and constant existing especially as opposed to mutability.

a love that abides through 40 years of marriage

persist suggests outlasting the normal or appointed time and often connotes obstinacy or doggedness.

the sense of guilt persisted

Adjective

last, final, terminal, ultimate mean following all others (as in time, order, or importance).

last applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or stopped.

last page of a book

last news we had of him

final applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress.

final day of school

terminal may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development.

terminal phase of a disease

ultimate implies the last degree or stage of a long process beyond which further progress or change is impossible.

the ultimate collapse of the system

Example Sentences

Adjective

He was the last one out of the building.

She succeeded on her last attempt.

These are the last two books in the series.

We are going to the beach for the last week of the summer.

the last cookie in the jar

She said she wouldn't marry him if he was the last man on earth.

He was tragically killed during the last days of the war.

I haven't seen her recently. The last time we met was at a party.

Adverb

He spoke last at the meeting.

My horse was last in the race.

She was first to arrive at the party and last to leave.

I last saw him in the supermarket.

They last went to the beach in June.

This word was last used in the 17th century.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Though Skagway was and is a small town, an Itjen tour lasted a full two hours. —David Reamer | Alaska History, Anchorage Daily News, 29 May 2023

Still, Tumi products are designed to last the test of time, and its luggage comes with a five-year warranty. —Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2023

None of the four rookies — Pedersen, RC Enerson, Sting Ray Robb, and Agustin Canapino — finished the race, and Pedersen lasted the longest. —Chloe Peterson, The Indianapolis Star, 28 May 2023

The attack lasted more than five hours, with air defense reportedly shooting down more than 40 drones. —Susie Blann And Elise Morton, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2023

Stolz had a lasting impact on the Spartans' baseball team as well as their football squad: One of his final recruiting successes was Waterford Kettering receiver Kirk Gibson, who caught nine passes for 262 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman in Stolz's final season. —Andrew Birkle, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2023

Harsin lasted just 21 games at Auburn, one of the shorter tenures for a modern SEC head football coach. —Creg Stephenson | [e-mail], al, 25 May 2023

The mission lasted nearly 40 days, floating at 108,000 feet, and the balloon set a record, circling five times around the Southern Hemisphere’s mid-latitudes. —Eden Villalovas, Washington Examiner, 25 May 2023

Research grants typically last two to three years, which is not enough time to observe how climate change, food shortages, habitat loss and deforestation are affecting animal behavior. —Caroline Chen, ProPublica, 23 May 2023

Adjective

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen projected last week that the nation could default on its debt obligations by June 5 if lawmakers do not act in time to raise the federal debt ceiling. —CBS News, 29 May 2023

Yunnan is one of the most indebted provinces in the country, with its outstanding debt to fiscal income ratio hitting more than 1,000% last year. —Laura He, CNN, 29 May 2023

The Reds introduced a collectible bobblehead last year in her honor. —Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 29 May 2023

Arkansas won its last three home regionals and won home super regionals in 2018 and 2019. —Matt Jones, Arkansas Online, 29 May 2023

According to your phone, what’s your daily average screen time from last week? 3 hours 32 minutes. —Fortune Editors, Fortune Well, 29 May 2023

Republicans had insisted on reducing spending and had passed their own bill with much larger cuts last month. —Mary Clare Jalonick And Seung Min Kim, BostonGlobe.com, 29 May 2023

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the former Raptors coach interviewed with the 76ers and Suns last week. —Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 29 May 2023

The alternative rock band officially reunited last year after a two-decade hiatus, decided to make a project and hope to tour in the future. —Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 29 May 2023

Adverb

The Kingfisher Charters vessel was last seen in the afternoon near Cape Edgecumbe, at the southwest point of Kruzof Island and near the open ocean of the Gulf of Alaska, according to the Coast Guard. —Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 31 May 2023

Gillespie’s escape sparked an internal investigation at the prison that seeks to uncover why there was a more than 24-hour time frame between when the two inmates were last seen and when officials noticed they were gone. —María Luisa Paúl, Washington Post, 30 May 2023

She was last seen driving off with a group of young men, including van der Sloot, then 17. —Aicha El Hammar Castano, ABC News, 29 May 2023

On May 17, shortly before 9:30 p.m., Amir Isaiah Ellis, 20, was reported missing and was reportedly last seen in the early morning hours of that day at a residence at 101 Rocky Reef Circle. —The Sentinel-record (hot Springs, Ark.), Arkansas Online, 29 May 2023

What led to spike in jail deaths?City report outlines 3 key reasons The downtown jail last saw an in-custody death in January 2023, its 13th over a 15-month period. —Matthew Glowicki, The Courier-Journal, 29 May 2023

And while Chris Sale is thriving again at last for the Red Sox, the rest of Boston’s patchwork rotation has a lot to prove. —Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 29 May 2023

She was last seen wearing a blue shirt with black stripes. —Ellie Willard, The Arizona Republic, 28 May 2023

Last week, this space included an update on Drew Pomeranz, who last appeared in a game Aug. 10, 2021, and was hoping to return this season from a shoulder injury. —Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 27 May 2023

Noun

Several days after the band’s show in Amsterdam, Springsteen played a show Tuesday in Edinburg, Scotland, his last for the next week before kicking off 19 other European shows throughout the summer. —Jonah Valdez, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2023

Dallas police are looking for a missing 14-year-old last seen at his South Dallas home in the 4800 block of Colonial Avenue around 3 a.m. Monday. —Dallas News, 3 May 2021

Enlarge / Someone poking at a 2013 Nexus 7, Google's last (and possibly only) great tablet. —Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 10 May 2023

His character Kwanzaa-bot last appeared in a 2010 holiday special, but series executive producer David X. Cohen has teased the release of new material later this year. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2023

The 40-year-old last visited Poland in 2017 with wife Kate Middleton. —Brie Stimson, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2023

Built on a precision-fit last, the Vective Sky fits true to size and is ready for your next high-octane outing. —Nathan Borchelt, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2023

The Nashville gig that proved to be Swinny’s last was only three gigs into a 16-date headlining tour scheduled for the band. —Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Mar. 2023

Jackson skated in the next-to-last of 15 pairs with Takagi’s time of 37.12 — set about a half-hour earlier in the fourth pairing — in her sights. —Dallas News, 14 Feb. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English lǣstan to last, follow; akin to Old English lāst footprint

Adverb

Middle English, from Old English latost, superlative of læt late

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English lǣste, from lāst footprint; akin to Old High German leist shoemaker's last, Latin lira furrow — more at learn

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1603, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing last

• breathe one's last
• come last
• down to the smallest/last/tiniest detail
• first and last
• final/last resting place
• have/get the last laugh
• have the last word
• hear the last of it
• he laughs best that laughs last
• hear the last of (something)
• he who laughs last, laughs best
• if it's the last thing someone (ever) does
• if it's the last thing someone does
• in the final/last analysis
• last/dying breath
• last but not least
• last call
• last-gasp goal
• last ditch
• last laugh
• last minute
• last orders
• last name
• last resort
• last straw
• last rites
• last thing
• last thing on someone's mind
• last time
• last word
• next to last
• pay one's last respects
• see the last of (someone or something)
• second to last
• the final/last straw
• the last/final word
• the last
• the last moment
• the last thing on someone's mind
• to the last man
• every last
• Fermat's last theorem
• every last one
• last-gasp
• last hurrah
• the last rites
• last-in first-out
• the last/previous couple of
• the last post
• the last minute
• (the) last someone heard
• weapon of last resort
• (the) last someone saw
• trade-last
• at long last
• last the distance
• on one's last legs
• at last

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• breathe one's last
• come last
• down to the smallest/last/tiniest detail
• first and last
• final/last resting place
• have/get the last laugh
• have the last word
• hear the last of it
• he laughs best that laughs last
• hear the last of (something)
• he who laughs last, laughs best
• if it's the last thing someone (ever) does
• if it's the last thing someone does
• in the final/last analysis
• last/dying breath
• last but not least
• last call
• last-gasp goal
• last ditch
• last laugh
• last minute
• last orders
• last name
• last resort
• last straw
• last rites
• last thing
• last thing on someone's mind
• last time
• last word
• next to last
• pay one's last respects
• see the last of (someone or something)
• second to last
• the final/last straw
• the last/final word
• the last
• the last moment
• the last thing on someone's mind
• to the last man
• every last
• Fermat's last theorem
• every last one
• last-gasp
• last hurrah
• the last rites
• last-in first-out
• the last/previous couple of
• the last post
• the last minute
• (the) last someone heard
• weapon of last resort
• (the) last someone saw
• trade-last
• at long last
• last the distance
• on one's last legs
• at last

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Kids Definition

last

1 of 6 verb

ˈlast 

1

: to continue in being or operation

lasted three hours

2

: to be enough for the needs of

supplies to last a week

last

2 of 6 noun

: a form which is shaped like the human foot and on which a shoe is shaped or repaired

last

3 of 6 verb

: to shape with a last

last

4 of 6 adjective

1

a

: following all the rest in time, place, or rank

last one out

b

: being the only remaining

last dollar

2

: belonging to the final stage

3

: next before the present : latest

last week

4

: least likely

the last thing we'd want

last

5 of 6 adverb

1

: at the end

ran last

2

: most lately

saw them last at school

3

: in conclusion

and last, I'd like to talk about success

last

6 of 6 noun

: something that is last

Etymology

Verb

Old English læstan "to last, follow"

Noun

Old English lǣste

Adjective

Old English latost "latest," from læt "late" — related to late entry 1