What does ultimate mean?
Word: Ultimate
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Ultimate means the greatest or best of its kind. It can also mean final, coming at the very end of a process.
How do you spell ultimate?
Syllables: ul - ti - mate
Tricky part: The ending looks like the ate of date, but here it is said softly, with a quick, weak vowel. Students who spell by sound write ultimit or ultimet.
Watch out for: ultimit, ultimet
Memory tip: Ultimate ends like climate and private, which also hide a quiet ate at the end.
Ultimate in a sentence
Example 1: For Kiran, the ultimate treat is a mango ice cream after a long day.
Example 2: Climbing the hill was hard, but the view from the top was the ultimate reward.
Example 3: Our ultimate aim is to plant a tree for every student in the school.
Fun Fact
There is a team sport called Ultimate, played with a flying disc instead of a ball. It was started by school students in the USA in the late 1960s, and in most games players settle disagreements themselves because there is no referee.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
ult_mate
a) i
b) e
c) a
d) u
Show answer
a) i. The quick middle sound is a short i, as in sit.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) adventure
b) champion
c) ulltimate
d) treasure
Show answer
c) ulltimate. Ultimate begins with a single l; ulltimate doubles it.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
Winning the inter-school quiz was the ultimate prize for our team, and the principal handed each of us a sparkling trofy and a certificate.
a) 2
b) 0
c) 3
d) 1
Show answer
d) 1. Only trophy is wrong; it needs ph in place of the f.
Sound Check
In which word is 'u' pronounced differently?
a) under
b) umbrella
c) unicorn
d) ultimate
Show answer
c) unicorn. Unicorn starts with the sound of you; the other three start with the short u of cup.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Riya calls a rainy day with a good book 'the ultimate holiday'. What does she mean?
a) it is the best kind of holiday
b) it is a very short holiday
c) it is a holiday she dislikes
d) it is a holiday far from home
Show answer
a) it is the best kind of holiday
2. Which word is the opposite of ultimate when it means 'final'?
a) greatest
b) perfect
c) initial
d) eventual
Show answer
c) initial
