Definition of MUST

must

Meanings

Plural: mote, must, musts

Noun

  • a necessary or essential thing
    • "seat belts are an absolute must"
  • grape juice before or during fermentation
  • the quality of smelling or tasting old or stale or mouldy
  • Something that is mandatory or required.
  • The property of being stale or musty.
  • Something that exhibits the property of being stale or musty.
  • Fruit juice that will ferment or has fermented, usually from grapes.
  • Alternative spelling of musth.

Adjective Satellite

  • highly recommended
    • "a book that is must reading"

Verb

  • To do as a requirement; indicates that the sentence subject is required as an imperative or directive to execute the sentence predicate, with failure to do so resulting in a failure or negative consequence.
  • To do with certainty; indicates that the speaker is certain that the subject will have executed the predicate.
  • Used to indicate that something is very likely, probable, or certain to be true.
  • To make musty.
  • To become musty.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English moste ("must", literally, "had to", the past tense of Middle English moten (“to have to”)), from Old English mōste (“had to”), 1st & 3rd person singular past tense of mōtan (“to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity to, be compelled to, must, may”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną. Cognate with Dutch moest (“had to”), German musste (“had to”), Swedish måste (“must, have to, be obliged to”). More at mote.

Antonyms

no-no

Scrabble Score: 6

must is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
must is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
must is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 8

must is a valid Words With Friends word