best
of the highest quality, excellence, or standing: the best work; the best students.
most advantageous, suitable, or desirable: the best way.
largest; most: the best part of a day.
most excellently or suitably; with most advantage or success: an opera role that best suits her voice.
in or to the highest degree; most fully (usually used in combination): best-suited; best-known; best-loved.
something or someone that is best: They always demand and get the best. The best of us can make mistakes.
a person's finest clothing: It's important that you wear your best.
a person's most agreeable or desirable emotional state (often preceded by at).
a person's highest degree of competence, inspiration, etc. (often preceded by at).
the highest quality to be found in a given activity or category of things (often preceded by at): cabinetmaking at its best.
the best effort that a person, group, or thing can make: Their best fell far short of excellence.
a person's best wishes or kindest regards: Please give my best to your father.
Idioms about best
all for the best, for the good as the final result; to an ultimate advantage: At the time it was hard to realize how it could be all for the best.: Also for the best .
as best one can, in the best way possible under the circumstances: We tried to smooth over the disagreement as best we could.
at best, under the most favorable circumstances: You may expect to be treated civilly, at best.
get / have the best of,
to gain the advantage over.
to defeat; subdue: His arthritis gets the best of him from time to time.
had best, would be wisest or most reasonable to; ought to: You had best phone your mother to tell her where you are going.
make the best of, to cope with in the best way possible: to make the best of a bad situation.
with the best, on a par with the most capable: He can play bridge with the best.
Origin of best
1Words Nearby best
Other definitions for Best (2 of 2)
Charles Herbert, 1899–1978, Canadian physiologist, born in the U.S.: one of the discoverers of insulin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use best in a sentence
Daryl Groom, a former winemaker with Penfolds in Australia and Geyser Peak in California, is perhaps Naked Wines’s best-known winemaker, marketing his DRG line of wines through the platform.
Online wine sales continue to grow, but can they — or should they — replace local shops? | Dave McIntyre | February 26, 2021 | Washington PostIt’s large and fairly heavy, though, so it works best for those with medium- or large-sized desks rather and a dedicated workspace, rather than hot desks or cafe tables.
Best ergonomic keyboards for hand and wrist pain | PopSci Commerce Team | February 26, 2021 | Popular-ScienceResearchers have found that open and honest communication works best.
Digital self-harm: What to do when kids cyberbully themselves | Juli Fraga | February 26, 2021 | Washington PostOnline consumer intelligence and social media listening platform Brandwatch has been acquired by Cision, best known for its media monitoring and media contact database services, for $450 million, in a combined cash and shares deal.
Brandwatch is acquired by Cision for $450M, creating a PR, marketing and social listening giant | Mike Butcher | February 26, 2021 | TechCrunchSo it might be worth picking a desk with multiple features just to see what works best for you.
Best home office desk: Standing desks, office tables, and more | PopSci Commerce Team | February 25, 2021 | Popular-Science
The best comparison here for an American audience is, well, Internet stuff.
Strangio is at his best when exposing what appears to be a flourishing civil society in Cambodia.
Her style, much like her diminutive nickname, is best described as “Hamptons twee”—preppy and peppy.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze | Lizzie Crocker | January 9, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTPerhaps on his own nowadays, Epstein is trying his best to webmaster over a dozen URLs.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking | M.L. Nestel | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTScalise spoke briefly, adding little of substance, saying that the people back home know him best.
We resolved to do our best to merit the good opinion which we thus supposed them to entertain of us.
He is perplexed and hindered by the lack of soldiers, but is doing his best with his small forces.
If Mac had been alone he would have made the post by sundown, for the Mounted Police rode picked horses, the best money could buy.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. SinclairHer best-known works are portrait busts, which are numerous.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine ClementBut the Mexicans were not the people to give up their best province so easily.
British Dictionary definitions for best (1 of 2)
/ (bɛst) /
the superlative of good
most excellent of a particular group, category, etc
most suitable, advantageous, desirable, attractive, etc
the best part of most of: the best part of an hour
put one's best foot forward
to do one's utmost to make progress
to hurry
the superlative of well 1
in a manner surpassing all others; most excellently, advantageously, attractively, etc
(in combination) in or to the greatest degree or extent; most: the best-loved hero
as best one can or as best one may as effectively as possible within one's limitations
had best would be wise, sensible, etc, to: you had best go now
the best the most outstanding or excellent person, thing, or group in a category
(often preceded by at) the most excellent, pleasing, or skilled quality or condition: journalism at its best
the most effective effort of which a person or group is capable: even their best was inadequate
a winning majority: the best of three games
Also: all the best best wishes: she sent him her best
a person's smartest outfit of clothing
at best
in the most favourable interpretation
under the most favourable conditions
for the best
for an ultimately good outcome
with good intentions: he meant it for the best
get the best of or have the best of to surpass, defeat, or outwit; better
give someone the best to concede someone's superiority
make the best of to cope as well as possible in the unfavourable circumstances of (often in the phrases make the best of a bad job, make the best of it)
six of the best informal six strokes with a cane on the buttocks or hand
(tr) to gain the advantage over or defeat
Origin of best
1British Dictionary definitions for Best (2 of 2)
/ (bɛst) /
Charles Herbert . 1899–1978, Canadian physiologist: associated with Banting and Macleod in their discovery of insulin in 1922
George . 1946–2005, Northern Ireland footballer
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for Best
[ bĕst ]
American-born Canadian physiologist who assisted Frederick Banting in the discovery of the hormone insulin. In acknowledgment of his work, Banting shared his portion of the 1923 Nobel Prize with Best. In addition to further refining the use of insulin, Best later discovered the vitamin choline and the enzyme histaminase, which breaks down histamine.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with best
In addition to the idioms beginning with best
- best bib and tucker
- best of both worlds, the
- best part of something
- best shot
also see:
- all for the best
- all the best
- as best one can
- at best
- at one's best
- come off (second-best)
- do one's best
- get the better (best) of
- give it one's best shot
- had better (best)
- make the best of it
- on one's best behavior
- put one's best foot forward
- second best
- Sunday best
- in one's (best) interest
- to the best of one's ability
- with the best of them
- with the best will in the world
Also see underbetter.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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