different between least vs leastest

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English leste, lest, last, from Old English l?st, a contraction of læsast, læsest, lærest (“least”), from Proto-Germanic *laisistaz (“smallest; least”), related to Old English læs (“less”). Cognate with Old Frisian leist, Old Saxon l?s. More at less.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li?st/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /list/
• Rhymes: -i?st
• Homophone: leased

Determiner

least (comparative less)

1. The most little; the smallest amount or quantity of [something].
   • 1857, Edmund March Blunt, The American Coast Pilot: Containing Directions for the Principal Harbors, E. & G.W. Blunt, page 135:

     The least water we could find there was 4 fathoms, which bears from the point S.E., and is distant 1½ mile.

   • 1847, John Duncan, Duncan's Travels

     To have demolished and rebuilt the walls, would have been a very costly expedient, and as the least of two evils, the painter's brush was resorted to; here and there however, above some of the windows, the black wreathings of the smoke are still discernible through the white covering.

   • 2004, Jim Baggott, Beyond Measure: Modern Physics, Philosophy, and the Meaning of Quantum Theory, Oxford University Press, page 48:

     Light does not need to know in advance which is the path of least time because it takes all paths from its source to its destination.

Usage notes

Some grammarians recommend to use least only with uncountable nouns, as in the examples above with the smallest amount of sense:

• 1965, H. W. Fowler, Fowler’s Modern English Usage: Second Edition:

  [W]hen the context—unemotional statement of everyday facts—is taken into account, at a less price ought to be at a lower price, and a lesser prize ought to be a smaller prize.

To such grammarians least is the superlative of a little, not that of little, so it does not mean smallest, but the smallest amount of. With plural nouns, they recommend fewest.However, other authorities disagree; the OED lists least as a synonym of fewest without any usage notes discussing this meaning.

Translations

Adverb

least (negative superlative)

1. Used for forming superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.

   It was the least surprising thing.

2. In the smallest or lowest degree; in a degree below all others.

   to reward those who least deserve it

   I'd never hid the truth, least of all from you.

   I don't much like housework, and I like cooking least of all.

Antonyms

• most

Translations

Noun

least (plural leasts)

1. (philosophy) Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit.

Adjective

least

1. Most little; smallest.

   least weasel

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Contraction of at least.

Prepositional phrase

least

1. (informal, nonstandard) At least.

References

Anagrams

• Astle, ETLAs, Slate, Teals, Tesla, astel, laste, lates, leats, salet, setal, slate, stale, steal, stela, taels, tales, teals, telas, tesla

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• leas (non-standard since 2012)

Verb

least

1. passive infinitive of le
2. passive infinitive of lea and lee

Anagrams

• elast, laset, laste, lesta, letas, létas, salet, salte, selta, stela, tasle, telas, tesla

English

Etymology

least +? -est

Adjective

leastest

1. (nonstandard) least.

Anagrams

• stealest, teatless, tsatlees