I. last 1 S1 W1 /lɑːst $ læst/ BrE AmE determiner , adjective
1 . most recent or nearest to the present time ⇨ next(12) :
I hadn’t seen him since the last meeting.
last night/week/year etc
Did you see the game on TV last night?
The law was passed last August.
Interest in golf has grown rapidly in the last ten years.
Things have changed since the last time (=the most recent occasion) you were here.
2 . happening or existing at the end, with no others after OPP first :
I didn’t read the last chapter of the book.
The next meeting will be held in the last week in June.
the last person/thing etc to do something
Anna was the last person to see him alive.
last but one/two etc (=last except for one other, two others etc)
on the last but one day of his trial
second/next to last (=last except for one other)
the second to last paragraph
3 . remaining after all others have gone, been used etc:
Can I have the last piece of cake?
every last (=used to emphasize that you mean all of something)
All the money was gone; every last penny of it.
4 . the last minute/moment the latest possible time before something happens:
Travelers will find it hard to get a hotel room at the last minute.
He never makes a decision until almost the last moment.
5 . the last person/thing used to make a strong negative statement about someone or something:
She’s the last person I’d expect to meet in a disco (=I would not expect to meet her in a disco at all) .
Money was the last thing I cared about right now.
the last thing somebody needs/wants
The last thing she needed was for me to start crying too.
6 . be the last straw to be the final thing in a series of annoying things that makes someone very angry:
He’d broken his promise again, and it was the last straw.
7 . last thing (at night) at the very end of the day:
Take a couple of these pills last thing at night to help you sleep.
8 . on your last legs informal
a) very tired:
Sarah looks as if she’s on her last legs.
b) very ill and likely to die soon
9 . on its last legs informal old or in bad condition, and likely to stop working soon:
The car’s on its last legs.
10 . be the last word in something to be the best, most modern, or most comfortable example of something:
It’s the last word in luxury holidays.
⇨ last resort at ↑ resort 1 (2), ⇨ with your last/dying breath at ↑ breath (9), ⇨ ↑ last hurrah , ⇨ have the last laugh at ↑ laugh 2 (6), ⇨ the last/final word at ↑ word 1 (14)
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THESAURUS
■ the one before this one
▪ last most recent or nearest to the present time:
His last film was much better.
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It rained all day last Saturday.
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The last time I saw her was two years ago.
▪ previous before this one, or before the one that you are talking about:
See the diagram in the previous chapter.
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His previous records had all been jazz records.
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How much were you earning in your previous job?
▪ former [only before noun] formal existing or having a particular position in the past, but not now:
the former Soviet Union
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the former US president
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Interest rates are unlikely to return to their former level.
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the former Chief Executive
▪ old [only before noun] used about a person or thing that existed in the past, but has been replaced by a newer one:
an old boyfriend
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The old model was much slower.
■ the one that comes at the end
▪ last [only before noun] happening or existing at the end, with no others after:
What time does the last train leave?
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Our house is the last one on the right.
▪ final [only before noun] last in a series of actions, events, parts of a story etc:
It’s the final game of the championship tomorrow.
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the final scene of the film
▪ closing [only before noun] used about the last part of a long period of time, or of an event, book etc that has been exciting or interesting:
the closing years of the twentieth century
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Barnes scored the winning goal in the closing minutes of the game.
▪ concluding [only before noun] used about the last part of a piece of writing, a speech, or an organized event, that ends it in a definite way:
the concluding section of the report
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the judge’s concluding remarks
▪ penultimate /peˈnʌltəmət, peˈnʌltɪmət, pə-/ [only before noun] the one before the last one:
the penultimate chapter
II. last 2 S1 W1 BrE AmE adverb
1 . most recently before now ⇨ next :
When I last saw her, she was working in New York.
2 . after everything or everyone else OPP first :
Who is speaking last?
Add the flour last.
last of all (=used when giving a final point or piece of information)
Last of all, I’d like to thank everyone for coming.
3 . last but not least used when mentioning the last person or thing in a list, to emphasize that they are still important:
Last but not least, let me introduce Jane, our new secretary.
III. last 3 S1 W1 BrE AmE noun , pronoun
1 . the last the person or thing that comes after all the others OPP first :
I think this box is the last.
the last to do something
He was the first to arrive and the last to leave.
2 . at (long) last if something happens at last, it happens after you have been hoping, waiting, or working for it a long time:
At last it was time to leave.
We reached the summit at last.
3 . the day/week/year etc before last the day, week etc before the one that has just finished:
I sent the letter off the week before last.
4 . the last of something the remaining parts of something:
John ate the last of the bread at lunchtime.
5 . somebody hasn’t heard the last of somebody/something if you have not heard the last of someone or something, they may return and cause problems for you in the future:
We haven’t heard the last of football violence.
6 . somebody will never hear the last of something if you will never hear the last of something, someone will be angry with you about it for a long time:
If my mother sees me, I’ll never hear the last of this.
7 . the last I heard spoken used to tell someone the most recent news that you know about a person or situation:
The last I heard, she was at college studying law.
8 . to the last formal until the end of an event or the end of someone’s life:
He died in 1987, insisting to the last he was innocent.
IV. last 4 S1 W2 BrE AmE verb
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: læstan 'to last, follow' ]
1 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to continue for a particular length of time
last for/until/through etc
The hot weather lasted for the whole month of June.
last an hour/ten minutes etc
Each lesson lasts an hour.
The ceasefire didn’t last long.
2 . [intransitive and transitive] to continue to exist, be effective, or remain in good condition for a long time:
This good weather won’t last.
last (somebody) two days/three weeks etc
A good coat will last you ten years.
Cut flowers will last longer if you put flower food in the water.
3 . [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] ( also last out (something) British English ) to manage to remain in the same situation, even when this is difficult:
They won’t be able to last much longer without fresh supplies.
If you go into the job with that attitude, you won’t last long.
She feared she might not be able to last out the afternoon in court without fainting.
4 . [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] to be enough for someone for a period of time SYN do
last (somebody) for/until/to etc
The batteries should last for 20 hours playing time.
We only had $50 to last us the rest of the month.
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THESAURUS
■ to continue to happen
▪ continue to happen without stopping:
The good weather seems likely to continue.
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Unless there are serious negotiations, the fighting will continue.
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Some people have lost work, and this will continue to happen until the computer system is fixed.
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The review process is expected to continue for several weeks.
▪ last to continue – use this to say how long something continues for:
I know my good luck won’t last forever.
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It’s not certain how long the ceasefire will last.
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The trial lasted for six days.
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The meeting lasted until lunchtime.
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The training period lasted from July 2 to August 25.
▪ go on to continue, especially for a long time:
Disputes between neighbours can go on for years.
▪ carry on British English to continue, especially when there are problems:
The game carried on despite the injury of two players.
▪ drag on to continue for much longer than necessary or for longer than you want:
The meeting dragged on for another hour.
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The talks dragged on, with no apparent hope of achieving a peaceful solution.
▪ persist formal if something bad persists, it continues to exist or happen:
See your doctor if the symptoms persist.
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If adverse weather conditions persist, the game will be cancelled.
V. last 5 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: læste , from last 'footmark' ]
a piece of wood or metal shaped like a human foot, used by someone who makes and repairs shoes