at last

at last — idiom

1. used when something that you have been hoping for, waiting for, or working towar

1.idiomB1
Definition

used when something that you have been hoping for, waiting for, or working towards finally happens after a long delay or effort

Example

After three years of saving every penny, Marta and Bao could at last afford a small apartment.

at last placed after a time clause to show the result of a long effort

At last, Hassan heard back from the university — he had been accepted into the engineering program.

sentence-initial At last, followed by a comma — marks relief after suspense

Common collocations
  • at long last (emphatic variant)
  • at last + [moment of resolution]
  • and at last
  • until at last
Synonyms
  • finally

    the neutral, everyday equivalent; works in any register or context

  • at long last

    a more emphatic and slightly more formal variant of 'at last'

  • eventually

    focuses on the passage of time rather than the feeling of relief

  • in the end

    slightly more informal; can also mean 'ultimately' beyond just timing

Antonyms
  • at first

    marks the beginning of a waiting period, not its end

  • to start with

    points to the initial situation rather than the final resolution

Grammar Patterns

at last + [clause of resolution]

[clause describing the wait] + at last

Usage Note

Common in narratives where the speaker or writer wants to highlight the emotional relief of reaching the endpoint of a long wait or difficult process. 'At last' carries more emotional weight than 'finally' — the latter can be used in neutral contexts (e.g. 'He finally arrived at 10 a.m.'), whereas 'at last' always signals that the wait felt significant.

Common Mistakes

At last, I finished my homework, and then I started cooking dinner.
After finishing my homework at last, I started cooking dinner.
'at last' marks a definitive endpoint, not a pause between routine activities.
At last, he went to the store to buy milk.' (for a routine errand)
At last, the rescue team reached the stranded hikers.
'at last' is too emotionally strong for ordinary daily tasks; use 'finally' instead.

Synonym discussion

Sense: idiom/1

These four expressions all indicate that something occurs after a passage of time, but they differ in emotional tone and narrative function. 'Finally' is the most neutral and versatile — it can describe a bus arriving on schedule ('The bus finally arrived at 9 a.m.') or the end of a long ordeal. 'At last' adds a strong layer of relief or satisfaction, making it ideal for moments of emotional release (e.g. after a rescue or reunion). 'At long last' intensifies this further with a more formal or dramatic tone. 'Eventually' foregrounds the time that passes rather than the feeling at the endpoint, so it works well when the timing is uncertain ('We eventually found the restaurant after getting lost twice'). 'In the end' is the broadest — it can refer to a conclusion that follows debate or logic rather than just time ('In the end, they decided to stay home'). Choose 'at last' when you want your reader to feel the relief of the wait; choose 'finally' when you simply want to mark that the wait is over.

finally ↗at long last ↗eventually ↗in the end ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

A fixed adverbial phrase combining the preposition 'at' and the noun 'last' (from Old English 'latost', meaning 'latest' or 'end'). The expression has been in use since the 13th century to mark the endpoint of a waiting period, with 'last' preserving an older sense of 'end' that no longer stands alone in modern English.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined above