leastadverb, determiner, pronoun
uk/liːst/us/liːst/B1 less than anything or anyone else; the smallest amount or number:
This group is the least likely of the four to win.
Disaster struck when we least expected it.
It was the answer she least wanted to hear.
I like the green one least of all.
He's the relative I like (the) least.
No one believed her, least of all (= especially not) the police.
They refused to admit her, not least because (= there were several reasons but this was an important one) she didn't have her membership card with her.
More examples
- That must be the colour I like least in the whole world!
- If I only had one course and no drinks, I ought to pay least, surely?
- Marilyn is the least vain person I know - she's convinced she's ugly!
- Which of these outfits do you think cost least?
- Michael, you hardly got any notes right - it's easy to see which of you three has practised least this week.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Maximum and minimum
- (at) full stretch idiom
- at least idiom
- bare
- ceiling
- critical mass
- full
- majority
- mass
- max
- max out
- maximal
- maximum
- minimum
- minority
- most
- most
- outside
- peak
- the full monty
- utmost
See more results »
Idiom(s)
at least
it's the least I can do
the least sb can/could do
least said soonest mended
not in the least
not the least