Used to say that something is very close to happening or being true, but not completely. It shows that only a small amount or step is missing.
From Old English *ealmǣst*, meaning “nearly, almost entirely.” It blends *eall* (“all”) and *mǣst* (“most”), literally “all-most.” Over time, the spelling and pronunciation smoothed into the modern “almost.”
“Almost” literally started as “all-most,” which is like saying “as close to all as you can get.” It’s a great reminder that language often hides tiny math-like ideas inside it. When you say “I almost won,” you’re actually saying “I was all-most there.”
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