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

See Examples For:

at best

That sent long-term rates plunging but they rebounded on Thursday, with Mark Malek, of Muriel Siebert & Co, calling it "a housekeeping move destined to be short-term, at best".

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

But more often than not, the combination comes off forced; corny at best, insipid at worst.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

The Bundesbank noted that Germany’s economy will likely at best only expand marginally in the quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

But where once these kinds of outbursts would have made waves, they now seem to ripple at best.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

It was dim enough at best, and he had to feel anxiously into the shadows to be sure he had not missed some morsel of clay.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Related Words

• at least
• partially
• slightly
• somewhat