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Added 2 October 2026

last

/lɑːst/ adjective

Categories: Describing WordsEveryday Words

In Latin: ultimus, postremus Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about last at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

  1. Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind.
    Will try to fix it by myself for now: as a last resort, we can always take it to a grease monkey.
  2. Most recent, latest, last so far.
    The last time I saw him, he was married.
  3. Farthest of all from a given quality, character, or condition; most unlikely, or least preferable.
    He is the last person to be accused of theft.

determiner

  1. The (one) immediately before the present.
    We went there last year.
  2. Closest in the past, or closest but one if the closest was very recent; of days, sometimes thought to specifically refer to the instance closest to seven days (one week) ago, or the most recent instance before seven days (one week) ago.
    It's Wednesday, and the party was last Tuesday; that is, not yesterday, but eight days ago.

adverb

  1. Most recently.
    When we last met, he was based in Toronto.
  2. after everything else; finally
    As I arrived last of all, I'll go last to add the butter last.

verb

  1. To endure, continue over time.
    Summer seems to last longer each year.
  2. To hold out, continue undefeated or entire.
    I don't know how much longer we can last without reinforcements.
  3. To purposefully refrain from orgasm

Origin

From Middle English laste, latst, syncopated variant of latest, both ultimately from Old English latost. Doublet of latest.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Related Words: ultimateendmostlatestnext-to-lastpenultimateantepenultimatefinallyutmostconcludingconclusionfinishsubterminal

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