ALMOST


Meaning of ALMOST in English

I. (ˈ)ȯl|mōst, -ȯ(u̇)|m- also ˈ ̷ ̷_məst adverb

Etymology: Middle English almost, almest, from Old English almǣst, ealmǣst, from al-, eal- all (akin to Old English eall ) + mǣst most — more at all , most

1.

a. : close to the total of

almost all the warriors were heathens

: with few exceptions

almost every man

b. : by far the greater part of

almost the entire book

: excepting only a small or minor section

fire destroyed almost the whole town

2.

a. : not actually but very close to being : not really but deceptively near

a cry almost human

b. : what would amount to being

he was after all almost a failure

: what would essentially approximate

he paid almost nothing for it

3. : more than just approximately

almost identical plans of attack

: lacking by very little in being exactly

almost half of the money

: all but absolutely or utterly

almost unique

II. adjective

: very close to being a

an almost bullseye

: nearly a

an almost failure

: near

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.