utmost

1 of 2

adjective

ut·​most ˈət-ˌmōst How to pronounce utmost (audio)
 especially Southern  -məst
1
: situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme
the utmost point of the earthJohn Hunt
2
: of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount
a matter of utmost concern

utmost

2 of 2

noun

1
: the most possible : the extreme limit : the highest attainable point or degree
the utmost in reliability
2
: the highest, greatest, or best of one's abilities, powers, and resources
will do our utmost to help

Did you know?

Utmost comes from Old English ūtmest, a superlative adjective formed from the adverb ūt, meaning "out." The earlier sense of utmost carries the same meaning as outermost.

Examples of utmost in a Sentence

Adjective supreme power that extended to the utmost points of the empire she is a successful leader who deserves the utmost respect Noun This new system represents the utmost in modern technology. It's designed to provide the utmost in comfort. We had to push ourselves to the utmost to finish the job in time.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Caroline worked as a school board administrator As a Carnegie Mellon University graduate and member of the school board of Philadelphia, Caroline ensured that academics were of the utmost importance in her household. Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023 Please be assured that the safety of our students continues to be our utmost priority. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023 Aside from the possibility of alienating fans, the NFL exec says that maintaining respect for Kelce and Swift’s privacy is of the utmost importance. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 7 Oct. 2023 Perched 95 feet above the turquoise sea, this is the place to visit for utmost relaxation. Hannah Freedman, Travel + Leisure, 26 Oct. 2023 The Big Ten Conference considers the integrity of competition to be of utmost importance and will continue to monitor the investigation. David K. Li, NBC News, 20 Oct. 2023 The large ensuite bathroom offers the utmost relaxation with a freestanding tub and vanity nook. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023 For Google, ensuring the success of its Bard AI chatbot is of utmost importance. Davey Alba, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2023 The way to respond to your mother’s forgetfulness is with the utmost patience, followed by a trip to the doctor. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 6 Oct. 2023
Noun
Lai said Taiwan, which regularly buys defensive weapons from the U.S., would do its utmost to protect itself, as well. Ed Flanagan, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2023 Any time that's brought up, it is brought up with the utmost of respect. CBS News, 5 Sep. 2023 If Haley best represented the party’s recent pre-Trump past, Vivek Ramaswamy—the outsider pharmaceutical executive—did his utmost to frame himself as the party’s inevitable post-Trump future. Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2023 Anytime that's brought up, it is brought up with the utmost of respect. Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2023 The Chinese Communist Party did its utmost to dismiss such suspicions, but so did a group of influential Western scientists. Matt Ridley, WSJ, 26 July 2023 Parents should do their utmost to have two free hands when dealing with a toddler and a baby. Amy Dickinson, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2023 For that task, Philips employed the utmost of simplicity: luminous skin and a touch of gold on the eyelids. Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 7 July 2023 Modi said the government would do its utmost to help those who had suffered from the accident and strictly punish anyone found responsible. Ravi Mishra, NBC News, 4 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'utmost.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, alteration of utmest, from Old English ūtmest, superlative adjective, from ūt out, adverb — more at out entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of utmost was before the 12th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near utmost

Cite this Entry

“Utmost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utmost. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

utmost

adjective
ut·​most
ˈət-ˌmōst,
 especially Southern  -məst
1
: located at the farthest or most distant point
2
: of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount
a matter of the utmost urgency
utmost noun
Etymology

Adjective

Old English ūtmest "outermost," from ūt "out" and -mest (a superlative adjective suffix similar to -est)

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