Meaning & use
utmost
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Greatest in degree, amount, or importance within a particular situation.
Grammar: Always placed before a noun; do not say “the care was utmost” in modern English.
Patterns
- utmost care
- utmost importance
- of the utmost urgency
Please handle the samples with the utmost care.
The safety of residents is of the utmost importance.
The doctor treated the warning with the utmost seriousness.
nounsingular
The greatest possible amount, effort, or extent that a person can give or reach.
Grammar: Used in the fixed phrases “do your utmost” and “to the utmost”; not freely countable.
Patterns
- do your utmost
- try your utmost
- to the utmost
She did her utmost to keep the team calm.
We will try our utmost to repair the damage quickly.
The machine was tested to the utmost before release.
Common combinations
- utmost care
- The documents were copied with utmost care.
- utmost respect
- They treated the elder speaker with utmost respect.
- of the utmost importance
- Clear labeling is of the utmost importance.
- do your utmost
- Everyone did their utmost to finish before dark.
Synonyms and how they differ
- greatest
- Less formal and more flexible; it can stand alone or follow verbs, unlike utmost.
- maximum
- Emphasizes the highest measurable limit rather than personal effort or seriousness.
- supreme
- Stronger and often implies rank, authority, or final importance.
Opposites
Commonly confused: utmost or utmost vs upmost?
utmost vs utmost vs upmost
“Utmost” means greatest; “upmost,” usually written “uppermost,” means highest in place or foremost in mind.
Practice
Which phrase is standard?
Choose one answer.
“With the utmost care” is the fixed pattern before a noun. “Utmostly” is not standard, and the adjective normally does not follow “is.”
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “utmost”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.