least
adjective
\ ËlÄst
\
\
Definition of least
(Entry 1 of 3)
superlative of little entry 1
1
: lowest in importance or position
the least of my worries
2a
: smallest in size or degree
The least noise would startle her.
b
: being a member of a kind distinguished by diminutive size
the least bittern
c
: smallest possible : slightest
believed that the least government was the best government— Irving Stone
least
nounDefinition of least (Entry 2 of 3)
: one that is least
at least
1
: at the minimum
at least once a week
2
: in any case
at least you have a choice
least
adverbDefinition of least (Entry 3 of 3)
superlative of little entry 2
: in the smallest or lowest degree
least of all
: especially not
no one, least of all the children, paid attention
Examples of least in a Sentence
Adverb
Who was the least at fault in the case? He asked me to help him when I least expected it. That was the least important of her reasons. That was the least interesting book I have ever read.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
For the sake of the planet, many hope that at least some of them do. — Shweta Narayan, Smithsonian, "How Engineers of New Energy Technology Are Taking Cues From Nature," 31 Aug. 2019 At least some of those customers are hoping to make a quick buck themselves. — Lauren Zumbach, chicagotribune.com, "Secondhand shopping, once stigmatized, is going mainstream. âItâs better for the environment, my wallet and morals.â," 29 Aug. 2019 Oppositional politics keeps it together, at least some of the time, as has also been true for the GOP for much of its history. — John Hood, National Review, "New Nationalists Make Three Big Bets," 28 Aug. 2019 Siegel noted that in at least some of the cases, the use of a THC oil, such as butane hash oil, was blamed. — Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY, "Critics: CDC silent on vaping THC as injuries mount," 28 Aug. 2019 So, the hope is that at least some of them would be able to overcome this implicit bias. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Scientists avoid gender bias when they know theyâre being tested for bias," 27 Aug. 2019 But not to fear: Turner and Jonas were spotted leaving their hotel in New York with Joe and Kevin Jonas, all dressed up for the event (or at least some of the parties). — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "The J Sisters Skipped the Red Carpet at the 2019 MTV Video Music AwardsâBut They Still Dressed Up," 27 Aug. 2019 But as evidenced by how Australia battled the U.S. twice in a pair of exhibitions in Melbourne, and beat the Americans there on Saturday, at least some of the world's best teams aren't exactly fearful of the two-time defending World Cup champions. — Tim Reynolds, courant.com, "Basketballâs World Cup will have star power, in an international sense," 25 Aug. 2019 Aubin said Little's confessions have given closure to at least some victims' families. — Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati.com, "Serial killer pleads guilty to strangling 2 women in Cincinnati decades ago," 23 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Respondents were asked to rank 39 possible trendsâ25 of which were trends from previous yearsâfrom 1 (least likely to be a trend) to 10 (most likely to be a trend). — Leah Prinzivalli, SELF, "The Top 10 Fitness Trends for 2019, According to Fitness Pros," 1 Nov. 2018 Women nominated for Grammy Awards, for instance, were most likely to be recognized for best new artist or song of the year and least likely to be up for producer of the year. — August Brown, latimes.com, "More than 90% of recent Grammy nominees are men, USC study finds," 25 Jan. 2018 As of now, the Power 5 league least likely to be represented in the playoff is the Pac-12, whose teams have steadily beaten each other; only one of its teams is ranked in The A.P.âs top 15. — Marc Tracy, New York Times, "Could the College Football Playoff Shut Out 2 Power Conferences?," 30 Oct. 2017 A pre-emptive U.S. military blow canât be ruled out, but such a strike carries great risk and is among his least likely options. — Robert Burns, The Seattle Times, "Pre-emptive US strike on North Korea could be âcatastrophicâ," 6 July 2017 That propels her toward Rex, the bomb-sniffer least likely to be voted Mr. Canine Congeniality. — Special To The Washington Post, The Denver Post, "âMegan Leaveyâ is a canine-human love story," 9 June 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb
The 13 least populous states would suffer the largest diminution of their weight in presidential politics. — George Will, Twin Cities, "George Will: Democrats may change their malleable minds about the National Popular Vote," 29 Aug. 2019 Always start with the simplest, least caustic method. — Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, "How To Get Leaf Stains Off Your Wood Deck," 24 Aug. 2019 The average rates of babysitting vary from $14/hour for one child in the least expensive region of the country to $23/hour for three kids in the most expensive region of the country, according to UrbanSitter. — Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, "The Rates of Babysitting Change Depending on Your Location, Your Family Makeup, and Your Priorities," 23 Aug. 2019 At the other end of the preference list, hot tubs were one of the things home buyers were least likely to crave. — Steve Brown, Dallas News, "No surprise â most homebuyers want air-conditioning," 21 Aug. 2019 What if the people most likely to massively change the world for the better, the Einsteins so to speakâthe Black Swans, are oftentimes those least likely to be seen as deserving social investment? — Aimee Groth, Quartz, "Andrew Yangâs basic income plan permits Americans to fail. And thatâs a good thing," 20 Aug. 2019 The least likely candidate for the Waystar throne this side of Cousin Greg still managed to take the biggest fall this week. — Julie Kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kendallâs Back on Top in the Succession Game of Thrones," 19 Aug. 2019 Number one is the easiest/most favorable schedule for that position and 32 is the hardest/least favorable schedule. — Si Fantasy Staff, SI.com, "Use FullTime Fantasy's Tools to Win Your Fantasy Football League," 15 Aug. 2019 Some of the most desirable places to live come with the least desirable price tags. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "Are You Ready for a Big Move?," 31 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'least.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for least
least
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of least
(Entry 1 of 2)
: smallest in amount or degree
least
adverbEnglish Language Learners Definition of least (Entry 2 of 2)
: in or to the smallest degree
See the full definition for least in the English Language Learners Dictionary
least
adjective
\ ËlÄst
\
\
Kids Definition of least
(Entry 1 of 3)
superlative of little
: smallest in size or degree
The least noise startles her.
least
nounKids Definition of least (Entry 2 of 3)
: the smallest or lowest amount or degree
I don't mind in the least.
at least
1
: not less or fewer than
Read at least 20 pages.
2
: in any case
At least you have a choice.