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• second best
  second best

  noun

  the next to the best in performance, achievement, craftsmanship, etc.
• second-best
  second-best

  adjective

  next to the best

second best

American  

noun

1. the next to the best in performance, achievement, craftsmanship, etc.

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second-best British  

adjective

1. next to the best

2. informal to be defeated in competition

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noun

1. an inferior alternative

second best Idioms  

1. Also, second class. Next after the first in rank or quality, inferior to the best, as in We aren't satisfied with being second best in sales, or This hotel is obviously second class. The first term dates from the first half of the 1400s, the variant from about 1800. Also see come off, def. 2; second class.

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Other Word Forms

• second-best
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of second best

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second best second-best

“Chad, the best time to have dropped out would have been a couple of weeks ago, but the second best time is right now.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026

He has 43 more than the second best, Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

South Korean stocks just registered their second best month ever and has overtaken one of the largest stock markets in the world.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026

Liverpool were second best by some distance against the European champions, who enjoyed 74% possession on Wednesday, despite Slot's team setting up in survival mode.

From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026

For Elizebeth, the pressing reality was that she was stuck in a job where she felt like second best, with her time worth half that of her husband’s.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Has their second-best World Cup ever been under-appreciated?

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Global equity fundraising topped $729.4 billion in the first half of 2026, boosted by SpaceX’s record IPO, marking the second-best start to the year on record, according to Mergermarket data.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

That is only the stock’s second-best day this year: It jumped 64% on May 5, when Backblaze posted solid growth in quarterly earnings and annual recurring revenue.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

The Royce Small-Cap Fund was the second-best performer on the list for one year, trailing only the Royce Micro-Cap Trust.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

Mrs. Cranston and Camilla and Olive sat through long afternoons in their second-best clothes.

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck