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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

Having been second best, the five-time world champions suddenly had momentum.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

"It was a night to forget - we were second best at everything," ex-England midfielder Karen Carney told ITV.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

“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

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

“He’s not a stranger. He’s easily my second best friend.”

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

If that holds, it would make for SpaceX’s second-best trading day since its initial public offering last month, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Disney’s “Toy Story 5” opened to an estimated $312 million globally, marking the second-best debut for a Pixar animated film.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

It was the second-best day of the year for the Nasdaq, according to Dow Jones Market Data.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

The same Parker, who is also a line cook who smells like onions sometimes, and the second-best debater in Munising, Michigan.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith