Skip to content
word of the day

Table of Contents

The word for today is…

utmost (adjective, noun):

adjective
1 : situated at the farthest or most distant point
2 : of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount

noun
1 : the most possible : the extreme limit : the highest attainable point or degree
2 : the highest, greatest, or best of one’s abilities, powers, and resources

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Utmost traces back to the Old English Utmest, a superlative adjective formed from the adverb Ut, meaning “out.” Utmest eventually evolved into utmost, perhaps influenced by the spelling of the word most. Not surprisingly, the earlier sense of utmost carries the same meaning as outermost. The second sense of utmost, meaning “of the greatest or highest degree,” first appeared in English in the 14th century but didn’t see frequent use until almost 400 years later. A related word is utter, meaning “absolute” or “total,” as in the phrase utter chaos; it comes from Old English utera, meaning “outer,” and ultimately from Ut.

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

Quick Hit – Luxon and Peters Wedge Labour: No Grand Coalition as TPM Implodes

Quick Hit – Luxon and Peters Wedge Labour: No Grand Coalition as TPM Implodes

🔴 VIP EARLY ACCESS Rapid Intelligence Briefing | 12 May 2026 | Stuff.co.nz + open source | High Confidence | Medium-High Urgency EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has categorically ruled out any grand coalition with Labour, calling the notion “insanity” while he cleans up the previous government’s mess. Winston Peters has done

Members Public
Face of the Day

Face of the Day

Whanau’s evidence was to the Tribunal’s Mana Wāhine inquiry into issues affecting Māori women, including whether the Crown’s systems and institutions failed to protect and support Māori women in leadership, governance and public life.

Members Public
The Good Oil Word of the Day

The Good Oil Word of the Day

The word for today is… interregnum (noun) - 1: the time during which a throne is vacant between two successive reigns or regimes 2: a period during which the normal functions of government or control are suspended 3: a lapse or pause in a continuous series Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Every

Members Public