Definition

Adverb: Used to emphasize that a particular person or thing is the most unlikely or unsuitable case for something, especially when compared to others. It introduces a strong negative exception.

Usage

This phrase is used to single out one element as being especially not involved in or affected by a statement. It typically follows a negative clause and emphasizes that if the statement is not true for others, it is definitely not true for the highlighted case.

Examples

• "I don't want to see anyone tonight, least of all my boss."
• "No one understood the instructions, least of all the new trainees."
• "She was surprised by everyone's reaction, least of all her mother's."

Advanced Usage

The phrase can be used in various grammatical positions for emphasis, but it most commonly follows the main clause it modifies. * Fronting for emphasis: "Least of all did I expect to win the award myself." (This is a more formal or literary construction.) * The element following "least of all" is the focus of the exception and is often set off by commas.

Variants and Related Words

• Let alone: A conjunction used to add a stronger, more unlikely example. (e.g., "I can't run a mile, let alone a marathon.")
• Much less: Similar to "let alone," used to introduce something even less likely. (e.g., "He can't afford a car, much less a house.")

Synonyms

• Especially not
• And certainly not
• And in particular not

Notes on Meaning

The core function is emphatic exclusion. It doesn't simply list an item; it highlights that item as the most extreme or surprising example of the negative statement that has just been made. It is the superlative form of "not."

Adverb

1. especially not
   • nobody, least of all Joe, agreed with me