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Showing results for at best. Search instead for Be beset.
Synonyms

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.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

There is a long tradition of wealthy, self-funding candidates, and the results are mixed at best.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

"It won't exceed five percent, at best," said Thomazo.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

The pushback there is tepid at best and non-existent at worst.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026

It was expensive, and it had only been in use for two or three years, and it would only be a temporary fix at best.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

She was too tired to be amused at her uncle’s telephone manners: he viewed such instruments with deep anger and his conversations were monosyllabic at best.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.