What does “must” mean?
- 1
modal verbused to say that something is necessary or very important
You must wear a seat belt in the car.
- 2
modal verbused to say that you are almost sure something is true
You must be tired after such a long trip.
- 3
nounsomething that you should really do or have
If you visit Rome, the old town is a must.
Must at a glance
- Part of speech
- modal verb & noun
- CEFR level
- A2 (elementary)
- Pronunciation
- /mʌst/ · MUST
How to use “must” correctly
“Mustn’t” means it is not allowed; “don’t have to” means it is not necessary. They are not the same.
Common phrases with “must”
- must have done sth
- a must-see
- if you must
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- have to
“must” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- may modal verbA2used to say that something is possible but not certain
- might modal verbA2used to say that something is possible, often less likely than with “may”
- can modal verbA1to be able to do something, or to know how to do it
- could modal verbA1used as the past of “can” to talk about ability
- should modal verbA1used to give advice or say what is right
- would modal verbA1used to talk about imagined situations