moltissima

Moltissima is the feminine singular form of the Italian adjective moltissimo, used as an intensifier to express a very high degree of a quality when it modifies a feminine singular noun. It functions like an adjective and agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The corresponding forms are moltissimo (masculine singular and common adverbial use), moltissima (feminine singular), moltissimi (masculine plural), and moltissime (feminine plural).

As an adjective, moltissima is placed before or after the noun it describes, depending on emphasis and construction. Examples include: una quantità moltissima di risorse, la notizia ha suscitato moltissima attenzione, molte case moltissime stanno ristrutturando. The adjective agrees with the feminine singular noun quantity, not with the noun that follows after di or of: una quantità moltissima di risorse is common, whereas a feminine plural noun would take moltissime in agreement with that noun if the adjective were to modify it directly (e.g., molte case = many houses; moltissime case = very many houses).

Moltissima is not used to modify verbs; for adverbial emphasis on verbs or adjectives, Italian generally uses molto or moltissimo, which do not change with gender. For example, ti piace moltissimo is an adverbial use; una casa molto grande or una casa moltissima è rara as a noun phrase uses the adjective form.

Etymology traces moltissima to molto with the superlative suffix -issimo, itself from Latin multus. In contemporary Italian, moltissima remains a standard intensifier in formal and informal contexts.