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

See Examples For:

at best

Even suggesting research into alternative sociological explanations is viewed as racist, morally wrong and victim blaming at best.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

In the 2001 trial, Giaka was to be a "key" witness in the prosecution's case but the four judges described some of his evidence as "at best grossly exaggerated and at worst simply untrue".

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

However, they were all conducted in the 1980s and ’90s, and the FDA described the results as “inconclusive and at best preliminary.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

This may have been England's best World Cup for 60 years, but at best it was par for the course and at worst a failure.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

That he was no good or at best just a weak man who was easily susceptible to whoever he was with?

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Related Words

• at least
• partially
• slightly
• somewhat