-est

1.
suffix forming the superlative of adjectives (widest; nicest; happiest) and adverbs (soonest).
Etymology: OE -ost-, -ust-, -ast-
2.
suffix (also -st) archaic forming the 2nd person sing. of verbs (canst; findest; gavest).
Etymology: OE -est, -ast, -st

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I. \\ə̇st\ adjective suffix or adverb suffix

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English -st, -est, -ost; akin to superlative suffixes Old High German -isto, -ōsto (in adjectives), -ist, -ōst (in adverbs), Old Norse -str, -astr (in adjectives), -st, -ast (in adverbs), Gothic -ists, -osts (in adjectives), -ist (in adverbs), Greek -istos (in adjectives), Sanskrit -iṣṭha (in adjectives); probably from the suffix represented by English -er (I) + the suffix represented by English -ed (I)

— used to form the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs of one syllable

fattest

latest

newest

of certain adjectives and adverbs of two syllables

luckiest

oftenest

remotest

simplest

and less often of longer ones

beggarliest

— often attached to words (as participles in adjectival use) that rarely if ever show a corresponding comparative formation in -er

cussedest

fightingest

lyingest

— regularly accompanied by coalescence with final e of the base word, change of final postconsonantal y of the base word to i, or doubling of the final consonant of the base word immediately after a short stressed vowel; compare most II

II. \\ə̇st\ suffix or -st \\st, after a vȯiced consonant zt or st\

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English -est, -ast, -st, 2d singular present endings of various classes of verbs (from earlier -es, -as, -s + -t, assimilated form of the 2d person pron. thū thou) & -est (from earlier -es + -t), 2d singular past ending of weak verbs; akin to Old High German -ist, -ōst, -ēst (from earlier -is, -ōs, -ēs + -t, from thū, thu thou), 2d singular present endings, -ōst (from earlier -ōs + -t), 2d singular past ending of weak verbs, Gothic -is, -os, -ais, 2d singular present endings, -es, 2d singular past ending of weak verbs, Old Norse -r, -ar, -ir, 2d singular present endings, -ir, 2d singular past ending of weak verbs, Latin & Greek -s (preceded by various thematic vowels), 2d singular present ending, Sanskrit -si

— used to form the archaic second person singular indicative of English verbs (with thou)

gettest

didst

carriest

failedst

canst

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-est¹

a suffix forming the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs: warmest; fastest; soonest.

[ME; OE -est, -ost. Compare Gk -isto-]

-est²

a native English suffix formerly used to form the second person singular indicative of verbs: knowest; sayest; goest.

Also, -st.

[ME; OE -est, -ast, -st, 2nd pers. sing. pres. indic. endings of some verbs (-s earlier verbal ending + -t, by assimilation from thu THOU¹) and 2nd pers. sing. past endings of weak verbs (earlier -es + -t)]

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-est /-əst/

suffix

Marks the superlative degree of adjectives (eg longest) and some adverbs (eg fastest)

ORIGIN: OE -est or -ost

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est «ehst», noun.

a method of training people to achieve self-realization by combining Zen Buddhist concepts with austere exercises, including exposure to harsh treatment, verbal abuse, and the like.

╂[< E(rhard) S(eminar) T(raining)]

-est,

suffix forming the superlative degree of adjectives and adverbs. most: »

Warmest = most warm. Slowest = most slow.

╂[Old English -est-, -ost-]

Usage The suffix is pronounced «-ihst» or «-uhst», but in this dictionary only the former is listed. The pronunciation «-ehst» is sometimes used in reading verse, particularly when the suffix rhymes with a stressed syllable, as in best-loveliest.

est.,

an abbreviation for the following:

1. established.

2. estate.

3. estimated.

4. estuary.

E.S.T., EST (no periods), or e.s.t.,

1. Eastern Standard Time.

2. electric shock therapy.

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I [əst; ist]

suffix forming the superlative of adjectives (such as shortest, widest), and of adverbs (such as soonest)

Origin:

Old English -ost-, -ust-, -ast-

II [əst; ist]

(also -st [st]) suffix archaic forming the second person singular of verbs

canst | goest

Origin:

Old English -est, -ast, -st

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/əst, ıst/ adj suffix or adv suffix

— used to form the superlative of most adjectives and adverbs of one syllable

sweetest

fattest

latest

— used to form the superlative of some adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables

luckiest

oftenest

compare ↑-er

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-est suffix

(makes superlative adjectives and adverbs)

•

widest

•

biggest

•

happiest

•

soonest

compare ↑-er

 

Word Origin:

[-est] Old English -ost-, -ust-, -ast-.

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-est, suffix

forming the superl. deg. of adjs. and advbs., represents two forms originally distinct: (1) OE. -ost-, -ust-, -ast-, corresp. to OFris., ON. -ast-, OS., OHG., Goth. -ôst-:—OTeut. -ôsto-; (2) OE. -est-, -st-, with umlaut, corresp. to OFris., OS., OHG., Goth. -isto-:—OTeut. -isto-. These OTeut. suffixes are combinations of the two comparative suffixes -ôz-, -iz- with OAryan -to-; similar formations in other Aryan langs. are Gr. -ιστο-, Skr. ishṭha-. In OE. the two suffixes were already confused, so that -ost- occasionally appears with umlaut of the root-vowel, and conversely -est- without umlaut; a few umlaut forms survived into early ME., as lengeste longest; the only examples now remaining are best, eldest. In OE. (as in Gothic) the suffix -isto- was added to the stems of certain older superlatives formed with the suffix -m-; the resulting OE. ending -mest- was in later Eng. confused with the adv. most: cf. forma, fyrmest, foremost; innema, innemest, inmost: see -most. (For the relation in historical and present usage between the inflexional comparison in -er, -est, and the periphrastic comparison with the advbs. more, most: see -er³.)