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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.

But SpaceX’s IPO can’t change the fact that the environment for new stock listings is now mixed at best.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The idea of artificial intelligence, let alone a personal computer, was a fantasy at best.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Several of the chapters, about particle accelerators and fusion reactors, take readers on cursory tours of facilities that have at best a tangential connection to space.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

The message of history was unmistakable: The stock market over the next decade would struggle at best and be in the red for many years.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

For others—Addie and Joe coming to mind—Paintbrush Falls is a tight squeeze at best, and the more years that go by the more that characters like this will be eager to try on something bigger.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

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.