Last has 28 different meanings across 5 categories:
the temporal end; the concluding time
"the stopping point of each round was signaled by a bell"
"the market was up at the finish"
"they were playing better at the close of the season"
the last or lowest in an ordering or series
"he was the last to leave"
"he finished an inglorious last"
a unit of weight equal to 4,000 pounds
"The shipping container weighed exactly ten thousand last and required special clearance for transport."
a unit of capacity for grain equal to 80 bushels
"The old farmer insisted that his family's harvest would fill three last before they could pay off their debts."
holding device shaped like a human foot that is used to fashion or repair shoes
"The cobbler adjusted his last before beginning to stitch the new heel onto the worn-out boot."
A tool for shaping or preserving the shape of shoes.
"After hauling all his furniture up three flights of stairs, he finally collapsed under his last."
A burden; load; a cargo; freight.
In plain English: The last is the final person or thing in a group that remains after everyone else has gone.
"The battery did not last long enough to get us home."
Usage: Do not use "last" to mean a heavy burden or cargo, as this is an archaic definition no longer common in modern English. Instead, reserve the word for its everyday meanings such as duration, the final item in a sequence, or a person who survives others.
continue to live and avoid dying
"We went without water and food for 3 days"
"These superstitions survive in the backwaters of America"
"The race car driver lived through several very serious accidents"
"how long can a person last without food and water?"
"One crash victim died, the other lived"
To perform, carry out.
"The cobbler carefully lasted each boot before polishing them for the customer."
To shape with a last; to fasten or fit to a last; to place smoothly on a last.
In plain English: To last means to continue existing or functioning for a certain amount of time without stopping or breaking.
"Please don't leave the lights on if you don't last long enough to finish your homework."
Usage: Do not use "last" as a verb when you mean to shape leather with a tool, as that specific technical usage rarely appears in daily conversation. In everyday speech, simply use "last" to mean enduring over time or continuing until a certain point.
coming after all others in time or space or degree or being the only one remaining
"the last time I saw Paris"
"the last day of the month"
"had the last word"
"waited until the last minute"
"he raised his voice in a last supreme call"
"the last game of the season"
"down to his last nickel"
occurring at or forming an end or termination
"his concluding words came as a surprise"
"the final chapter"
"the last days of the dinosaurs"
"terminal leave"
most unlikely or unsuitable
"the last person we would have suspected"
"the last man they would have chosen for the job"
Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind.
"The last bus left just as we arrived at the station."
In plain English: Last means being at the very end of something.
Usage: Use "last" to describe something that occurs at the end of a sequence or remains until the final moment. It functions correctly when referring to the concluding item in a series or the most enduring instance of its kind.
Most recently.
"The last time I saw her was yesterday at the coffee shop."
In plain English: Last means happening at the very end or being the final one in a group.
"We will last until dinner is served."
Usage: Do not use "last" as an adverb to mean "most recently," as this is a common error; instead, use "latest." Reserve "last" as an adverb strictly for indicating the final occurrence in a sequence or time period.
The (one) immediately before the present.
"I haven't seen my old roommate since last week, but we catch up every time he visits from out of town."
The word "last" comes from a shortened form of the Middle English word "latest." It entered English with the meaning of being final or occurring at the end of a period.