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

Neither owners nor players would have lost any significant revenue by then — ticket sales and broadcasting rights for owners, salaries for players — so a new agreement by then is uncertain at best.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

The platform however argues it is a "generic male voice" whose perceived similarity to Tsuda's is subjective at best, according to court records accessed by AFP.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

The available data says the organizational response is at best a huge exaggeration of the rank and file’s view.

From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026

So the chances of this happening in any meaningful way are slim at best.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

Even if the actual enforcement of these laws was sporadic at best.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

• at least
• partially
• slightly
• somewhat