least 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of leastnext
as in lowest

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

least

2 of 2

noun

as in nobody

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of least
Adjective
While Freddy was in Boston mourning Germany’s defeat, online sleuths excavated the least-savory tidbits from his X posting history. — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026 Last, but certainly not least—I’ve had my Ceramic Air Styler since its first generation, but its latest iteration has a shorter handle and overall lighter design. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 July 2026
Noun
Women nominated for Grammy Awards, for instance, were most likely to be recognized for best new artist or song of the year and least likely to be up for producer of the year. — August Brown, latimes.com, 25 Jan. 2018 As of now, the Power 5 league least likely to be represented in the playoff is the Pac-12, whose teams have steadily beaten each other; only one of its teams is ranked in The A.P.’s top 15. — Marc Tracy, New York Times, 30 Oct. 2017 See All Example Sentences for least
Recent Examples of Synonyms for least
  1. minimal
  2. nobody
  3. mere
  4. nothing
  5. littlest
  6. zero
  7. zilch
  8. nonentity
Adjective
  • Plus, minimal prep means less clean-up and more time to relax and actually enjoy your food.
    — Rachel Cortez, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • This is the kind of simple outfit involves minimal planning, while looking thoroughly put-together.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Definition of minimal
Noun
  • Yvonne and Nick’s disastrous wedding dinner is the day the cast went from nobodies to actual practitioners of the reality-television arts and sciences.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 1 July 2026
  • Despite the tragicomic instability and the rotating cast of nobodies temporarily tasked with running the country, when seen in macroeconomic terms, Peru appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
    — Daniel Alarcón, New Yorker, 4 June 2026
Definition of nobody
Adjective
  • Without a connection to Apple, the iPhone is going to be a mere shadow of itself.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • To his supporters, Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the steadfast, fearless leader who transcended mere politics and inspired devotion.
    — Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of mere
Noun
  • While CinemaCon 2026 brought us exciting news about new films, it was also bogged down with status quo nothings about how Amazon MGM still hasn’t found a new James Bond.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
  • When Dana, who, like Virginia, had been successful in writing pleasant but undistinguished nothings—in her case, songs for Billy Rose’s revues—decided to try taking on more serious music by studying with Boulanger, Virginia entered a deep downward spiral.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Jan. 2026
Definition of nothing
Adjective
  • Your little girl was a little -- your littlest girl was a little naughty.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Feb. 2026
  • All of our top picks for the littlest kids are $30 or less today.
    — Clint Davis, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of littlest
Noun
  • For those on a budget with slightly less zeroes, RPM Bakehouse is a more laissez-faire, cafe-slash bakery.
    — Kate Dingwall, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Kids whose families had been chased out of half of Europe started the picture studios, the scrap yards that became fortunes, and eventually the software companies that created a whole new world of ones and zeros.
    — Anthony Scaramucci, Fortune, 28 June 2026
Definition of zero
Noun
  • The women earned as little as $25 per game—or frequently zilch.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Reviews have been mixed, with some critics embracing Gyllenhaal’s bold vision and others dismissing it as a whole lot of sound and fury, signifying zilch.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of zilch
Noun
  • During the Biden Administration, Pakistan had become a virtual pariah in Washington, or had been reduced to a nonentity, as the United States left Afghanistan and saw India as a means of countering China.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • All Dickens heroes are complete nonentities who know 217 wacky people.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Definition of nonentity

Browse Nearby Words

leasing
least
leasts
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Least.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/least. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on least

Nglish: Translation of least for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All