at best

Idioms  

1. Under the most favorable circumstances, as in At best we'll be just one week behind schedule, or Cleaning out the attic is a tedious job at best. This idiom, formerly also put as at the best, today is most often used in situations that are actually far from ideal, as in the examples above. [First half of 1300s] For an antonym, see at worst.

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Example Sentences

The result is a metaphysical model that, at best, lacks clarity, and at worst obscures the very nature of reality.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

"There is no clear strategy uniting these efforts, and engagement across departments and with local authorities is patchy at best."

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

Valuing a company that hasn’t made money at $1.8 trillion seems aggressive at best, foolhardy at worst.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

The disturbing thing is that it’s a question whose answer, to any well-read observer, is uncertain at best.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

If you didn’t have a death sentence, he decided, then prison was, at best, only a temporary reprieve from life, for two reasons.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• at least
• partially
• slightly
• somewhat