must — to be obliged or required to; expressing necessity or obligation
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to be obliged or required to; expressing necessity or obligation
Pronunciation (IPA): /mʌst/
Example Sentences
- Students must not use phones during the exam, or they'll become must-nots instead of must-haves!
- You must eat vegetables to stay healthy.
- This pizza must be made by angels - it tastes heavenly!
must
VERB[/mʌst/]
to be obliged or required to; expressing necessity or obligation
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'must' derives from Old English 'moste', the past tense form of 'motan', which originally meant 'to be allowed' or 'to be possible'. Over time, the semantic meaning evolved from permission and possibility to express obligation and necessity.
Breakdown
moste (past tense of Old English 'motan', meaning 'to be allowed' or 'to be capable'). The modal auxiliary sense developed as the past tense form grammaticalized to express present obligation and necessity.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Students must not use phones during the exam, or they'll become must-nots instead of must-haves!”
“You must eat vegetables to stay healthy.”
“This pizza must be made by angels - it tastes heavenly!”
“A good dictionary is a must for language learners.”
📚Related Words
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