INDEX:
1. less than any other
2. the smallest amount or number of something
3. to be at the lowest level
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ MOST
see also
↑ LESS
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1. less than any other
▷ least /liːst/ [adverb]
▪ We were the least successful team in the competition.
▪ Portugal would be my least favourite choice.
▪ The people who are least able to afford healthcare are often the ones who need it most.
▪ Air-conditioning is standard except on the least expensive model.
▪ Which job would you least like to do?
2. the smallest amount or number of something
▷ the least /ðə ˈliːst/ [quantifier]
the smallest amount of something :
the least
▪ We decided to buy the one that cost the least.
▪ Those who have been in the most danger have the least to say about it.
▪ Of all the EU countries, Britain spends the least on higher education.
▪ The least I would expect would be an apology I’d like more than just an apology .
the least water/money/time etc
▪ After trials, we chose the engine that used the least fuel.
▪ I was the youngest, so I always got the least pocket money.
▪ We’ve selected recipes that take the least time to prepare.
▪ Find a route that is likely to have the least traffic.
▪ We thought this decision would produce the least harm and disruption to residents.
▷ minimum /ˈmɪnɪməm, ˈmɪnəməm/ [adjective/quantifier]
the smallest possible number or amount of something or the smallest number or amount that is allowed :
▪ The minimum salary for this post is $25,000.
▪ We need a minimum number of two staff members on duty at lunchtime.
▪ Frank was moved to a minimum-security prison for good behaviour.
minimum height/length/age/wage etc
▪ These workers are being paid less than the minimum wage.
▪ The minimum age at which you can legally buy tobacco is 18.
▪ The Police Department has reduced the minimum height requirement to encourage more women to join the force.
reduce/keep something to a minimum
make the amount or number of something as small as possible
▪ Interruptions should be kept to a minimum.
▪ The library book stock has already been reduced to a minimum.
▪ We want to keep the number of mistakes to a minimum.
minimum of
▪ This will enable the patient to move with a minimum of discomfort.
▪ The course takes a minimum of three years.
▪ Even for local games, you have to pay a minimum of $45 per game.
the minimum
▪ Five people in a group should be the minimum.
bare minimum
use this to emphasize how small the amount is
▪ A tiny crack in the tent allowed the bare minimum of light in.
▷ the fewest /ðə ˈfjuːə̇st/ [quantifier]
the smallest number of something :
▪ We plan to do the repairs in winter, when we have the fewest visitors.
▪ Single men make the fewest complaints about women bosses.
▪ Towns with the fewest amenities are usually the ones with the highest crime rates.
▪ Young drivers under 25 have the highest number of accidents while those over 50 have the fewest.
▪ In 1998, there were 71 homicides, the fewest since the 1950s.
▷ the lowest /ðə ˈləʊə̇st/ [adjective]
use this about numbers, prices, wages, temperatures, or levels :
▪ In the last election, he was the candidate who got the lowest number of votes.
▪ People who drank the least coffee had the lowest level of blood pressure.
▪ The lowest charge for a rented car is $30 a day.
▪ Does the company offering the lowest price really offer the best value?
the lowest for 6 months/in 15 years/since 2000 etc
▪ Interest rates are only 4%, the lowest for 25 years.
▪ The infant mortality rate in Vietnam is now the lowest since 1997.
▪ Overseas demand for corn is the lowest in 20 years.
3. to be at the lowest level
▷ an all-time low /ən ˌɔːl taɪm ˈləʊ/ [noun phrase]
the lowest level ever reached :
be at an all-time low
▪ Exports of manufactured goods are now at an all-time low.
▪ Morale at the company is at an all-time low, and staff are leaving in droves.
sink to/fall to/reach an all-time low
▪ Ratings for the once-popular game show seem to have reached an all-time low.
▪ The president’s popularity has fallen to an all-time low.
▷ low/lowest ebb /ˌləʊ, ˌləʊə̇st ˈeb/ [singular noun]
the lowest level of success, hope, health etc :
be at its/their lowest ebb
▪ Consumer confidence is at its lowest ebb since January.
▪ With the company’s fortunes at their lowest ebb for 25 years, lay-offs seem inevitable.
something sinks/falls to its lowest ebb
▪ In the late 1980s, her career sank to its lowest ebb.
▪ Relations with Washington have fallen to their lowest ebb.