above all
First and foremost
Above all means most importantly, more than anything else.
It introduces the point that matters most among several considerations: Above all, remember to be kind.
The phrase signals priority—what follows outweighs everything previously mentioned: She was smart, funny, and above all, honest.
- primarilyIn the first place
- chieflyAbove all else
- foremostHighest in importance
- overridingOf chief importance
- supremeHighest in authority
paramount · top priority · principally · crucial · especially · first and foremost · best · topmost · essential · vital · in particular · bottom line · preeminent · unmatched · ultimately · unparalleled · central · key point
- superlativesexcellent, superb, best, outstanding, supreme
- intensifiersvery, really, extremely, absolutely, incredibly
- connectivesand, or, but, because, nor
- connectorscable, cables, connector, connectors, wires
- emphaticsabsolutely, certainly, definitely, emphasis, indeed
above allleast of all
Lowest in consideration
secondarily · trivially · negligibly · subordinately · at the very least
above allincidentally
Introducing a tangent
by the way · in passing · parenthetically · tangentially · accidentally