different between least vs weast
least
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)
- 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.
- 1857, Edmund March Blunt, The American Coast Pilot: Containing Directions for the Principal Harbors, E. & G.W. Blunt, page 135:
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)
- Used for forming superlatives of adjectives, especially those that do not form the superlative by adding -est.
- It was the least surprising thing.
- 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)
- (philosophy) Something of the smallest possible extent; an indivisible unit.
Adjective
least
- Most little; smallest.
- least weasel
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Contraction of at least.
Prepositional phrase
least
- (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
- passive infinitive of le
- passive infinitive of lea and lee
Anagrams
- elast, laset, laste, lesta, letas, létas, salet, salte, selta, stela, tasle, telas, tesla
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weast
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