most vital

ADJECTIVE

essential

Synonyms

STRONGEST

basic critical crucial decisive fundamental imperative important indispensable integral key meaningful necessary needed significant urgent

WEAK

bottom-line cardinal coal-and-ice constitutive heavy life-or-death meat-and-potatoes name name-of-the-game nitty-gritty prerequisite required requisite underlined

Antonyms

STRONGEST

additional extra inessential insignificant meaningless minor needless nonessential optional secondary trivial uncritical unimportant unnecessary useless voluntary worthless

WEAK

dead dull insignficant sluggish

ADJECTIVE

lively

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dynamic energetic vibrant vigorous

WEAK

animated forceful lusty red-blooded spirited strenuous vivacious zestful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

dull idle inactive lethargic

WEAK

dead inessential insignficant sluggish trivial unimportant

ADJECTIVE

alive

Synonyms

WEAK

animate animated breathing generative invigorative life-giving live living quickening

Antonyms

WEAK

dead dull inessential insignficant sluggish trivial unimportant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Only 77 ships have so far crossed the Strait of Hormuz in March as the Mideast war disrupts one of the world's most vital shipping routes, a maritime data firm reported Friday.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

"Today London stands tall in defence of one of our most vital rights – free speech," Robinson wrote on X.

From BBC • Sep. 13, 2025

Trade’s most vital contribution was intellectual, giving these cultures access to ideas, methods and technologies they couldn’t have developed alone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 29, 2025

We talked about motherhood and the excruciating vulnerability of having a part of your body, your heart—really, your most vital organ—living outside your body, running around in the world.

From Slate • Aug. 19, 2025

Though it ultimately wasn’t true, my father appeared to be the most vital of men.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee