The idiom "all but" is an adverbial phrase that means almost, nearly, or virtually. It is used to indicate that something is very close to happening or being true, but not quite. For example, "He was all but finished with his homework when his computer crashed."
The phrase "all but" is made up of two words, "all" and "but." "All" is a pronoun that means everything or everyone, and "but" is a conjunction that indicates an exception or contrast. Together, they convey a sense of near-completeness or near-certainty.
The origin of the phrase "all but" can be traced back to the Old English word "butan," which means "outside of" or "excluding." Over time, this word evolved into "but," which came to be used in the sense of "except" or "apart from." The phrase "all but" likely developed as a way to express the idea of "everything except" or "everyone except."
The context in which the phrase "all but" is used is typically one in which something or someone is almost, but not quite, in a particular state or condition. It is often used in the context of describing a situation that is close to a certain outcome, but not quite there yet. It can also be used to express a sense of inevitability or inevitability about something that is almost certain to happen.
Here are ten examples of how the idiom "all but" can be used in a sentence:
- The company was all but bankrupt, but they managed to turn things around.
- He was all but certain he would get the promotion, but it went to someone else.
- The game was all but over, but the team scored a last-minute goal to tie it up.
- She was all but ready to give up on her dreams, but her family encouraged her to keep going.
- The project was all but completed, but there were a few minor details left to iron out.
- The relationship was all but over, but they decided to give it another try.
- The concert was all but sold out, but I managed to get a ticket at the last minute.
- The city was all but destroyed by the earthquake, but the people rebuilt it.
- The book was all but forgotten, but it was recently rediscovered and became a bestseller.
- He was all but exhausted, but he pushed through and finished the marathon.