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Definition of last 1 determiner from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

last1

determiner
 
 
/lɑːst/
 
/læst/
Idioms
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  1.  
     happening or coming after all other similar things or people
    • We caught the last bus home.
    • It's the last house on the left.
    • She was last to arrive.
    Extra Examples
    • This last point, which Hamish has mentioned, is crucial.
    • Her last words were for her children.
  2.  
     [only before noun] most recent
    • last night/Tuesday/month/summer/year
    • The critics all hated her last book.
    • This last point is crucial.
    • The last time I saw him was in May.
    Extra Examples
    • Last summer we went to Greece for a month.
    • Shirley had a talk with her last Friday.
    Topics Timea1
  3.  
     [only before noun] that is the only one that remains synonym final
    • This is our last bottle of water.
    • He knew this was his last hope of winning.
    • I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last person on earth!
    Extra Examples
    • The teacher gave her one last chance to prove she could behave.
    • The museum is one of the last remnants of the 17th-century palace.
    • She was hanging on to the last remaining shreds of her reputation.
    • It took my last reserves of strength and will to swim to the lifeboat.
  4. used to emphasize that somebody/something is the least likely or suitable
    • The last thing she needed was more work.
    • He's the last person I'd trust with a secret.
    5. Word Origindeterminer Old English latost (adverb) ‘after all others in a series’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch laatst, lest and German letzt, also to late.
Idioms
at long last
  1. after a long time synonym finally
    • At long last his prayers had been answered.
be on your/its last legs
  1. to be going to die or stop functioning very soon; to be very weak or in bad condition
the day, week, month, etc. before last
  1. the day, week, etc. just before the most recent one; two days, weeks, etc. ago
    • I haven't seen him since the summer before last.
every last…
  1. every person or thing in a group
    • We spent every last penny we had on the house.
famous last words
  1. (saying) people sometimes say Famous last words! when they think somebody is being too confident about something that is going to happen
    • ‘Everything's under control.’ ‘Famous last words!’
first/last thing
  1. early in the morning/late in the evening
    • I need the report on my desk first thing Monday morning.
    • I took the dog for a walk last thing before going to bed.
have the last laugh
  1. to be successful when you were not expected to be, making your opponents look stupid
    • We'll have the last laugh if she finds out that you're the one who played the trick.
    Topics Successc2
in the final/last analysis
  1. used to say what is most important after everything has been discussed, or considered
    • In the final analysis, it's a matter of personal choice.
in the last resort
  1. when there are no other possible courses of action synonym at a pinch
    • In the last resort we can always walk home.
his/her last/dying breath
  1. the last moment of a person’s life
your/the last gasp
  1. the point at which you/something can no longer continue living, fighting, existing, etc. see also last-gasp
the last minute/moment
  1. the latest possible time before an important event
    • They changed the plans at the last minute.
    • Don't leave your decision to the last moment.
    Extra Examples
    • Don't leave everything till the last minute.
    • Why do you leave it until the last possible moment before getting ready to leave?
a/your last resort
  1. the person or thing you rely on when everything else has failed
    • I've tried everyone else and now you're my last resort.
the last/final straw | the straw that breaks the camel’s back
  1. the last in a series of bad events, etc. that makes it impossible for you to accept a situation any longer
the last word (in something)
  1. the most recent, fashionable, advanced, etc. thing
    • These apartments are the last word in luxury.
the last/final word (on something)
  1. the last comment or decision about something
    • He always has to have the last word in any argument.
    • I’m willing to wait one more week, and that’s my final word on the subject.
    • The Chairman always has the last word on financial decisions.
to a man | to the last man
  1. used to emphasize that something is true of all the people being described
    • They answered ‘Yes,’ to a man.
    • They were all destroyed, to the last man.
a week yesterday, last Monday, etc.
  1. (especially British English) seven days before the day that you mention
    • She started work a week yesterday.
    Topics Timec1
See last in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee last in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: last1

Nearby words

trait
noun
 
 
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