摘要：The least environmentallydamaging power source is also the most expensive. (对环境破坏最小的电源也是最昂贵的。) [副词；the必须有，因为名词source需要]

least可用于数、量和度。它源自little的最高级，能修饰形容词、副词、名词和动词。

1. 构成最高级

the least用来构成较长形容词和大多数副词的最高级， 如

【例句1】Rosalind seems to be the least worried about their move. (罗莎琳德似乎对他们的举动最不担心。)[形容词]

【例句2】The least environmentally damaging power source is also the most expensive. (对环境破坏最小的电源也是最昂贵的。) [副词；the必须有，因为名词source需要]

【例句3】The machines that worked (the) least efficiently were replaced. （效率最低的机器被更换了。）[the可以没有]

2. 修饰名词

the least可以放在名词前面，表达“少于所有其他”。若语境足够清晰，则名词可省略，如

【例句4】He did the least work of any of us. （在我们中，他做的工作最少。）

【例句5】We had a quiz. Rory got the most points. Tim got the least. （我们做了个小测验。罗里得到了最多的分数。蒂姆得到的最少。）[the least后面的points被省略了]。

3. 修饰动词

如果动词有比较明显的量属性，那么也可以用least来修饰，如

【例句6】None of them worked much, but Karen worked the least. （他们都不怎么工作，但凯伦工作得最少。）[此句的the有明显的比较范围of them]

【例句7】Think of the person you'd least expect to get the job. （想想你最不希望得到这份工作的人。）[没有定件词的least, 说是最高级，其实只是夸张表达]

来源：日月纵