If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I remember thee not, if I set not Jerusalem above my chiefest joy.
Source: tatoeba (2837209)
Chiefest
Synonyms for "chiefest" (7 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (2)
Adjective(2 words)
Strong matches (2)
Related words (3)
Adjective(3 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: distinguished, foremost, leading, paramount, preeminent.
- Sentence evidence is available for chiefest, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "chiefest".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "chiefest"
Keep "chiefest" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "chiefest" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "chiefest", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "chiefest" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
6 entriesprimary factorprincipal issueprincipal officersenior officertop officialtop priority
Collocations
6 entrieschiefest aimchiefest concernleading rolemain considerationprincipal factortop priority
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
4 total sentences available.
My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
Source: tatoeba (2843250)
"Now learn, how best to compass my design. / To Tyrian Carthage hastes the princely boy, / prompt at the summons of his sire divine, / my prime solicitude, my chiefest joy, / fraught with brave store of gifts, saved from the flames of Troy."
Source: tatoeba (6798671)
In the wild countrey of the South, wherein the sunne beateth mightily upon the sandes, there liveth a people both ancient and wise, that feed upon divers creatures, such as the stranger would marvell at. For whereas our tables are garnished with bread, with fleshe, and with wine, their sustenance is found in the very bowels of the earth and in the flights of the aire. Chiefest among these meats is the Witchetty Grubbe, the fat larva of a moth, which hideth it selfe in the roote of the Acacia. With a staffe the women digge the grounde, and plucke forth this white worme of notable bignes. Some eat it raw, even then when it is taken from the roote, saying it hath the taste of almond or of the yolke of an egge. Others do cast it into the fire, so that the skinne is made crisp and the inside savoury, like unto the flesh of a bird well roasted. Thus doth the desert yeeld a dish both wholesome and strong. No lesse esteemed is the Honie Ant, whose belly is swolne with sweet licour, for shee serveth as a living vessel of nectar. The children plucke them gently from the earth, and at the biting of their bellies they finde a drinke more pleasant than the cuppe of grape. A small thing it is, yet of great delight.
Source: tatoeba (13414845)
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "chiefest"?
Closest matches include distinguished, foremost, leading, paramount, preeminent.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "chiefest"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.