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adj. 1. Being, coming, or placed after all others; final: the last game of the season. 2. Being the only one left: his last nickel; as a last resort. 3. Just past; most recent: last year; the last time I checked. 4. Most up-to-date; newest: the last thing in swimwear. 5. Highest in extent or degree; utmost: to the last measure of human endurance. 6. Most valid, authoritative, or conclusive: The arbiter will have the last say in resolving this dispute. 7. a. Least likely or expected: the last person we would have suspected. b. The least desirable or suitable: the last man for the job. 8. Being the latest possible: waited until the last second before boarding the train. 9. Lowest in rank or importance: last prize; last place. 10. Used as an intensive: Every last dollar was donated to charity. 11. a. Of or relating to a terminal period or stage, as of life: the last days of the dinosaurs. b. Administered just before death: the last sacraments. adv. 1. After all others in chronology or sequence: arrived last. 2. Most recently: a fashion last popular in the 1940s. 3. At the end; finally: Add the butter last. n. Idioms: 1. One that is at the end or last: the last to be chosen; on every page but the last. 2. The end: held out until the last. 3. The final mention or appearance: haven't seen the last of our troubles. at last After a considerable length of time; finally. at long last After a lengthy or troublesome wait or delay: At long last the winter was over. [Middle English, from Old English latost, superlative of læt, late; see lē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] lastly adv. Synonyms: last1, final, terminal, ultimate These adjectives mean coming after all others in chronology or sequence. Last applies to what comes at the end of a series: the last day of the month. Something final stresses the definitiveness and decisiveness of the conclusion: Somehow he always seems to get the final word in what we end up doing. Terminal applies to what marks or forms a limit or boundary, as in space, time, or development: That railroad's terminal city is a town with a large harbor. Ultimate applies to what concludes a series, process, or progression or constitutes a final result or objective: the ultimate sonata of that opus; our ultimate goal; the ultimate effect. |
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