(superlative of `many' used with count nouns and often preceded by `the') quantifier meaning the greatest in number; "who has the most apples?"; "most people like eggs"; "most fishes have fins"
You use most to refer to the majority of a group of things or people or the largest part of something. By stopping smoking you are undoing most of the damage smoking has caused Sadly, most of the house was destroyed by fire in 1828. Most is also a determiner. Most people think the Queen has done a good job over the last 50 years Most is also a pronoun. Seventeen civilians were hurt. Most are students who had been attending a twenty-first birthday party
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; `near' is sometimes used informally for `nearly' and `most' is sometimes used informally for `almost'; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone agrees"
emphasis You use most to emphasize an adjective or adverb. I'll be most pleased to speak to them
You use most to indicate that someone or something has a greater amount of a particular quality than most other things of its kind. He was one of the most influential performers of modern jazz If anything, swimming will appeal to her most strongly least
the superlative of `much' that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by `the'; a quantifier meaning the greatest in amount or extent or degree; "made the most money he could"; "what attracts the most attention?"; "made the most of a bad deal"