Structures with least and left

At least

At least means ‘not less than (but perhaps more than)’. Note that at least is written as two words.

  • ‘How old is he?’ ‘At least forty.’
  • I phoned him at least six times.
  • She has acted in at least twelve films.
  • I have written at least ten letters since morning.
  • You have eaten at least fifteen chocolates.
  • She has lost at least $2000.
  • At least twenty people died in the crash.

At least can also be used as a discourse marker.

  • Ghosts don’t exist. At least, I haven’t seen one.
  • The car was completely damaged in the crash. But at least nobody was hurt.

Not in the least

Not in the least means not at all.

  • I was not in the least amused by her antics. (= I was not at all amused by her antics.)
  • She is not in the least worried about her safety. (= She is not at all worried about her safety.)
  • She is not in the least interested in the proposal.

Using left

Left can mean ‘remaining’, ‘not used’ or ‘still there’.

  • I haven’t got any money left. (= I haven’t got any money that I can spend.)
  • What did you do with the money that was left?
  • There is some milk left.
  • We haven’t got any rice left.

Note that left goes at the end of the structure.