at best

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

Rachel and Owen Dempsey, of Fazakerley, were described by a judge as "incompetent at best" when sentencing them for running an unlicensed dog sitting service, Liverpool City Council said.

From BBC

Even supporters of geoengineering research agree that it is, at best, a supplement to net zero, not a substitution.

From BBC

First and most important, the so-called Labour landslide of the July 2024 general election was an illusion, or at best an artifact of the U.K.’s increasingly dysfunctional electoral system.

From Salon

With this fourth movie, the Warren lore has been so thoroughly picked over, the tropes and rhythms now so ingrained, the jump scares end up feeling routine at best.

From Los Angeles Times

It said "the rationale for the former chief executive's retirement contributing to efficiencies was, at best, unclear".

From BBC

Related Words

• at least 
• partially 
• slightly 
• somewhat