almost

/ΛˆΙ”Λlmoʊst/
adverbβ˜…Intermediate
general

to a degree that is very close to, but not quite

I almost forgot my password.

She almost missed her flight.

πŸ’‘

Often used to express near success or near failure.

πŸ’ΌBusiness
formal

very nearly; nearly

The company almost went bankrupt.

The new policy almost doubled our sales.

Collocations

almost donenearly completedalmost therevery close to achieving something

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

almost asphrase
very similar to
almost likephrase
similar to

πŸ’‘Pro Tip

Contextual Usage

Use 'almost' in contexts where you want to express that something is very close to happening or being true, but not quite.

⚑Gold Rule

Placement in Sentence

Typically, 'almost' is placed before the verb it modifies.

πŸ“–Word Origin

From Old English 'almest', 'almosst', from 'all' + 'most'.

πŸ“Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 'almost' with 'most'. 'Almost' indicates closeness but not attainment, while 'most' indicates the greatest amount or degree.

Word Breakdown

all
completely
root
+
most
greatest
root
✎ Noted on May 2, 2026EN β†’ EN