utmost
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈʌtməʊ̯st/
ipa: /ˈʌtməst/
enpr: ŭt'mōst
ipa: /ˈʌtmoʊ̯st/
ipa: [ˈʌʔ-]
ipa: [ˈət-]
Forms: form: uttermost
Etymology: PIE word
 *úd
From Middle English utmost, utemest [and other forms], from Old English ūtmest, ūtemest [and other forms], from ūt, ūte (“out; outdoors, outside”) + -mest (suffix meaning ‘furthest’, used to form superlatives of some adjectives) (and conflated with most). Ūt is derived from Proto-Germanic *ūt (“out, outward”), from Proto-Indo-European *úd (“out, outward”). Equivalent to out + -most.
Senses: examples: text: the utmost assiduity
text: the utmost harmony
text: the utmost misery or happiness
text: Ile go to him, and vndertake to bring him in peace, / Where he ſhall anſwer by a lawfull Forme, / (In peace) to his vtmoſt perill.
ref: c. 1608–1609 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 17, column 1:
text: She was a lady adorned with many noble virtues: the utmoſt ſtrictneſs in her life and morals, eaſy and affable in her behaviour, and agreeably modeſt in her converſation.
ref: 1752, Jerome Osorio [i.e., Jerónimo Osório], “Book XI”, in James Gibbs, transl., The History of the Portuguese, during the Reign of Emmanuel: […], volume II, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 239:
text: The migrations of the Economic Rats, are not less extraordinary than those of the Lemmings. In the spring of the year they collect together in amazing numbers, and proceed in a course directly westward; swimming with the utmost intrepidity over rivers, lakes, and even arms of the sea.
ref: 1824, W[illiam] Bingley, Animal Biography, or, Popular Zoology; […], 6th edition, volumes II (Mammiferous Animals—Birds), London: […] C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington; …, →OCLC, pages 26–27:
text: "Bah!" cried John Westlock, with the utmost disgust and disdain the monosyllable is capable of expressing.
ref: 1842 December – 1844 July, Charles Dickens, “Wherein Certain Persons are Presented to the Reader, with Whom He may, if He Please, Become Better Acquainted”, in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1844, →OCLC, page 16:
text: The wildest largest passions, bliss that is utmost, sorrow that is utmost become him well, pride is for him, / The full-spread pride of man is calming and excellent to the soul, [...]
ref: 1892, Walt Whitman, “Children of Adam: I Sing the Body Electric”, in Leaves of Grass […], Philadelphia, Pa.: David McKay, publisher, […], →OCLC, stanza 6, page 84:
text: A contract of marine insurance is uberrimae fidel or, as enunciated in s 17 of the Marine Insurance Act, 'a contract based upon the utmost good faith'. [...] The obligations to disclose and to abstain from misrepresentations constitute the most significant manifestations of the duty to observe utmost good faith.
ref: 1999, Susan Hodges, Roy Carlile, “Utmost Good Faith, Disclosure and Representations”, in Cases and Materials on Marine Insurance Law, London: Cavendish Publishing, →ISBN, page 213:
text: Of course, everything was of utmost importance to Isabel Trent, Miriam thought with a sigh. Nevertheless she adopted her expression of utmost gravity as she replied, "Oh? I'm all ears."
ref: 2001, Elizabeth Bevarly, “The Temptation of Rory Monahan”, in Katherine Garbera, Elizabeth Bevarly, An Irresistible Temptation (Harlequin Man of the Month), Don Mills, Ont.: Harlequin Enterprises, published 2015, →ISBN, chapter 1, page 184:
text: Indeed at this very moment he's slipped away with the utmost cunning into a form that's most perplexing to investigate.
ref: 2005, Plato, translated by Lesley Brown, Sophist, page 236d:
text: “Conquering the New World is indeed job number one. It is of the utmost importance. But is it as important as creating life?”
ref: 2024 October 21, Paul Simms, “The Return of Jerry” (22:41 from the start), in What We Do in the Shadows, season 6, episode 1, spoken by Laszlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry):
glosses: The most extreme; greatest, ultimate.
Derived terms: utmostly
utmostness
Related terms: outermost
outmost
uttermost