best Hear it!

best definition

best (best)

adjective

  1. good
  2. of the most excellent sort; surpassing all others
  3. most suitable, most desirable, most favorable, most profitable, etc.
  4. being almost the whole; largest it took the best part of an hour

Etymology: ME best, betst < OE betst (akin to Goth batists) < ? IE base *bhad-, good > Sans bhadrá-ḥ, fortunate, good

adverb

  1. well
  2. in the most excellent manner; in the most suitable way
  3. in the highest degree; to the greatest extent; most

noun

  1. people of the highest worth, ability, or reputation among the best in his profession
  2. the thing, condition, circumstance, action, etc. that is most excellent, most suitable, etc.
  3. the most one can do; utmost to do one's best
  4. advantage to get the best of an opponent
  5. one's finest clothes

transitive verb

to win out over; defeat or outdo
best Idioms

all for the best

turning out to be good or fortunate after all

as best one can

as well as one can

at best

  1. under the most favorable conditions or interpretation
  2. at most

at one's best

in one's best mood, form, health, etc.

get the best of

or have the best of
  1. to outdo, overcome, or defeat
  2. to outwit

had best

ought to; would be prudent or wise to

make the best of

to do as well as one can with

with the best

as ably as the most able

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms best idiom

medical Best definition - medical

best Synonyms


best

n.

first, favorite, choice, finest, top, pick, prime, flower, cream, elite, crème de la crème (French), utmost, salt of the earth*, pick of the crop*, cream of the crop*, tops*.

all for the best

favorable, fortunate, advantageous; see helpful 1, hopeful 2.

as best one can

skillfully, ably, capably, as well as one can; see well 2.

at best

at most, under the most favorable conditions, under the most favorable circumstances, according to the most favorable interpretation, at the outside*.

at one's best

well, in one's prime, at the top of one's form, in one's best mood; see able 2, healthy 1.

get <strong>or </strong>have the best of<strong>

outdo, overcome, defeat, outwit; see defeat 1, 2, 3, surpass, win 1.

make the best of

tolerate, get by, manage, make do; see endure 2.

with the best

excellently, well, ably; see excellently, well 2.


best

v.

worst, get the better of, overcome, outdo; see defeat 1, 2, 3, surpass.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

best Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • gain: Hannah Sergeant gained personal bests in the long jump and shot to finish eighth with 1,701 points.

Preposition: in

  • jump: Hannah Sergeant gained personal bests in the long jump and shot to finish eighth with 1,701 points.

Adjective modifier

  • personal: This was a good day to shoot and lots of personal bests where shot.

Noun used with modifier

  • season: In the circumstances the four girls were heroic with pbs throughout for Nicola and Gemma and seasons bests for Jessica and Janine.
best usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

best quotes

If the best minds in the world had set out to find us the worst possible location in the world to fight this damnable war, politically and militarily, the unanimous choice would have been Korea. Adams

-Acheson, Dean Gooderham

I am bound by my own definition of criticism: a disinterested endeavour to learn and propagate the best that is known and thought in the world.

-Arnold, Matthew

Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human spirit.

-Arnold, Matthew

best quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
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