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Utmost vs Lesser - What's the difference?

utmost | lesser |

As adjectives the difference between utmost and lesser

is that utmost is situated at the most distant limit; farthest while lesser is (little).

As nouns the difference between utmost and lesser

is that utmost is maximum; greatest possible amount or quantity while lesser is a thing that is of smaller size, value, importance etc.

utmost

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Situated at the most distant limit; farthest
  • * Evelyn
    • We coasted within two leagues of Antibes, which is the utmost town in France.
  • * Herbert
    • Betwixt two thieves I spend my utmost breath.
  • The most extreme; ultimate; greatest
  • * (William Shakespeare)
    • He shall answerto his utmost peril.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=19 citation , passage=Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost . She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.}}
  • * 2005 , (Plato), Sophist . Translation by Lesley Brown. .
    • Indeed at this very moment he's slipped away with the utmost cunning into a form that's most perplexing to investigate.

    Related terms

    * outermost * outmost * uttermost

    Noun

    (-)
  • Maximum; greatest possible amount or quantity.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=19 citation , passage=Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost . She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.}}

    lesser

    English

    Adjective

    (head)
  • (little)
  • of two things, the smaller in size, value, importance etc.

    • Derived terms

    * lesser anteater * Lesser Antilles * lesser celandine * lesser extent * lesser evil, lesser of two evils * lesser flamingo * lesser included offense * lesser nothura * lesser spotted woodpecker

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • a thing that is of smaller size, value, importance etc.
    • the lesser of two evils
    The greater sand hills increasingly do not migrate, but almost all lessers do.

    Related terms

    * less * the lesser of two evils * fewer

    Anagrams

    * ----