But penultimate means “next to last” or “second to last.” It's probably because it adds an emphatic extra syllable to the word ultimate that people think it somehow means “more” than ultimate—but it really means less. ...

What's after penultimate?

Something that's antepenultimate is the third from the last. ... Ultimate is the last or best, penultimate is the second to last, and finally antepenultimate is the third from last.

What does penultimate day mean?

The penultimate thing in a series is the one before the last. ... on the penultimate day of the games.