Suffix · forms superlative adjectives
From Old English "-mast": forms superlatives of absolute position or degree. Utmost, foremost, innermost, uttermost, topmost, northernmost.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
-most comes from Old English "-mast" and forms superlative adjectives indicating the extreme position or maximum degree of something. utmost = the greatest possible (utter + most): "with the utmost care." "of the utmost importance." foremost = the first and most important: "first and foremost." "a foremost expert." innermost = the most interior or profound: "innermost feelings." topmost = the highest of all: "the topmost branch."
"utmost" and "uttermost" are etymologically the same word (both from Old English "utemest" = the furthest out) but have distinct nuances in modern literary English. "utmost" = the maximum possible, the upper limit: "I will do my utmost." "of the utmost importance." Very common. "uttermost" = the absolute extreme, poetic emphasis: "to the uttermost ends of the earth." Far more literary and uncommon. In modern prose, utmost is the standard form. Uttermost appears in the Bible, poetry and very formal prose.
"foremost" = first in importance or position: "first and foremost" is one of the most frequent phrases in formal English. "hindmost" = the last in a line, the one left behind: "devil take the hindmost" (every man for himself) — an English proverb. "nethermost" = the lowest or deepest of all: "the nethermost depths." Exclusively literary and archaic. In modern journalistic English: "foremost" is very common. "hindmost" and "nethermost" are almost exclusively literary or archaic.
Position adverb or adjective + most. Produces absolute superlatives of position.
Do not confuse with "most" as a determiner (most people) or the regular superlative (the most important). -most forms a single word that already embeds the superlative: "innermost" = the most inner.
-most/moʊst/ · rhymes with coast
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"utmost care" = the greatest possible care. "the ultimate challenge" = the defining or final challenge. Both are formal but different in meaning.
"a foremost expert" = the leading expert (first in standing). It does not simply mean "famous". "first and foremost" = above all else.
"innermost" already includes the superlative. Saying "the most innermost" is redundant. The same applies to outermost, topmost, foremost, etc.
A trick to remember it
-most = extreme position or maximum degree. Key words: utmost (the greatest possible), foremost (first in importance), innermost (deepest), uttermost (absolute extreme, literary). Fixed phrase: "first and foremost" = above all.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"First and foremost" means...
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is the difference between utmost and uttermost?
The suffix -most from Old English "-mast": forms superlatives of absolute position or degree. Utmost, foremost, innermost, uttermost, topmost, northernmost. In Spanish it usually maps to the most / extreme.
The ending -most is pronounced /moʊst/ · rhymes with coast. For example, "utmost".
"utter (extreme)" becomes "utmost". It is a typical example of the -most suffix.
From Latin "-ax/-acis": means "full of" or "having the quality of" to a high degree. Tenacious, audacious, malicious, delicious.
From Latin "-itudo": forms abstract nouns of state or quality. Solitude, gratitude, magnitude, fortitude.
From Old English "-weard" (direction): forms adverbs and adjectives of direction or tendency. Inward, outward, forward, wayward, awkward.
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.