Meaning of best in English

best

adjective

/best/ us

/best/

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of the highest quality, or being the most suitable, pleasing, or effective type of thing or person:

This is the best meal I've ever had.

He's one of our best students.

Are you sure this is the best way of doing it?

What's the best (= shortest or quickest) way to get to their house?

be best for Your parents only want what is best for you.

best friend She was my best friend (= the friend I liked most).

it is best to It's best (= it is wise) to get to the supermarket early.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

better than anyone or anything else

bestShe was the best singer in the country.
excellentHe was an excellent singer.
superlativeShe gave a superlative performance.
superbThe meal was absolutely superb.
outstandingHe was an outstanding chef.

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More examplesFewer examples

This type of nursery care may well be the best choice for your child.
Some of the best wines come from France.
He won the award for best actor, and deservedly so .
Everyone has their own ideas about the best way to bring up children.
That's the best piece of news I've heard for a long time!

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Good, better and best

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Idioms

be on your best behaviour
best bet
may the best man/person win!
put your best foot forward
with the best will in the world

best

adverb

/best/ us

/best/

in the most suitable, pleasing, or satisfactory way, or to the greatest degree:

Which evening would suit you best for the party?

The Grand Canyon is best seen at sunset.

like something best He couldn't decide which one he liked best (= preferred).

to the greatest degree when used as the superlative of adjectives beginning with "good" or "well":

They were the best-dressed couple at the party.

best looking He was voted the best-looking (= most attractive) actor in Hollywood.

as best you can mainly UK

as well as you can:

It is a difficult passage, but just translate it as best you can.

More examplesFewer examples

For reasons best known to himself he's decided to leave his job.
"The table that I liked best was about so wide," she said, holding her arms out a metre and a half.
We could go now or this afternoon - whatever time suits you best.
I'll have to do some thinking about how best to arrange the books.
Under what conditions do plants grow best?

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Good, better and best

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Idioms

do as you think best

had best

best

noun [ S ]

/best/ us

/best/

the most excellent in a group of things or people:

My tastes are simple - I only like the best.

He wanted the best for his children - good schools, a nice house, and trips abroad.

I like all of Hitchcock's films, but I think "Notorious" is the best.

the best of friends Chris and I are the best of friends (= we are very close friends).

Best, ... informal

used at the end of a friendly message or letter before writing your name:

I'll call you early next week to set up a lunch date. Can't wait to meet you. Best, Beth Morris

all the best A2 informal

used to say goodbye, or to end a letter to someone you know well, or to send good wishes to someone:

All the best to your parents!

at best

even when considered in the most positive way:

The food was bland at best, and at worst completely inedible.

at its best

at the highest standard that can be achieved:

The documentary was an example of investigative journalism at its best.

be at your best

to be as active or intelligent as you can be:

I'm not at my best in the morning.

best of all

this is the most pleasing thing:

There was wonderful food, good company, and, best of all, a jazz band.

best of luck

used to wish someone success before a test, etc. or a difficult activity:

US Best of luck on your finals!

the best of

In a sport such as tennis, if you play the best of a particular number of games, you play that number of games and the winner is the player who wins the greatest number of those games:

Shall we play the best of five?

do/try your (very) best

to make the greatest effort possible:

It doesn't matter if you fail, just do your best.

have had the best of

If you have had the best of something, you have enjoyed the most pleasant part of it, and everything that is left is worse:

I think we've already had the best of the hot weather this summer.

to the best of your ability (also to the best of your abilities)

as well as you can:

Just do the job to the best of your ability.

to the best of my knowledge/belief

from what I know and understand from the information that I have:

To the best of my knowledge, the chemicals which were found are not dangerous.

for the best

If an action is for the best, it is done to improve a situation or produce a good result, although it might seem unpleasant at the time:

Ending a relationship is always hard but in this case it's for the best.

make the best of

to make an unsatisfactory situation as pleasant as possible:

We'll have to spend the night here, so we might as well make the best of it.

More examplesFewer examples

He's one of our best salesmen - in fact I'd say he's the best.
Her latest film, by common consent, is her best yet.
The judges will select the best from this year's crop of first novels.
It's only human nature to want the best for your children.
Our hotel is the best in town.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Good and excellent things

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Written greetings

Idioms

at the best of times
the best of a bad bunch/lot
the best of both worlds
the best of British (luck)
with the best of them

best

verb [ T ]

formal

/best/ us

/best/

to defeat someone in a fight or competition:

He bested his opponent in just two rounds.

Synonyms

outdo
outflank
trump 

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Winning and defeating

See more results »

(Definition of best from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

best | American Dictionary

best

adjective, adverb

/best/

best adjective, adverb (HIGHEST QUALITY)

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of the highest quality, to the greatest degree, in the most effective way, or being the most suitable or pleasing; superlative ofgood orwell:

He’s one of our best students.

Which of the songs did you like best?

She was my best friend at school.

best bet

Someone’s best bet is the action most likely to be successful:

If you want to get to the theater on time, your best bet is to get a cab.

Best wishes

Best wishes is a polite way of finishing a letter to someone.

best

noun [ U ]

/best/

best noun [U] (EXCELLENCE)

the most excellent in a group of things or people:

As an athlete, Jim Thorpe is one of the best of all time.

I like all of Hitchcock’s films, but I think "Notorious" is the best.

Idioms

at best

do your very best

best

verb [ T ]

/best/

best verb [T] (DEFEAT)

to defeat someone in a fight or competition:

In chess, I was bested by my 13-year-old niece.

(Definition of best from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

What is the pronunciation of best?

Translations of best

in Chinese (Traditional)

最好的, 最出色的, 最優秀的…

in Chinese (Simplified)

最好的, 最出色的, 最优秀的…

in Spanish

mejor, más…

in Portuguese

superlativo de "good":, melhor, superlativo de "well":…

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सर्वोत्तम, सुखावह, योग्य…

“good” の最上級: 最も優れた, 最高の, “well” の最上級: 一番上手に…

en iyi, en iyisi, en tatminkâr ve uygun şekilde…

meilleur/-eure, le mieux, le plus…

millor, més…

best, het best, verslaan…

மிக உயர்ந்த தரம், அல்லது மிகவும் பொருத்தமான, இனிமையான அல்லது பயனுள்ள பொருள் அல்லது நபர்…

(वस्तु या व्यक्ति) सर्वश्रेष्ठ, सबसे अच्छा, सर्वश्रेष्ठ…

શ્રેષ્ઠ, સર્વોત્તમ, સૌથી સારું…

bedst, overgå, besejre…

bäst, besegra…

baik, terbaik, dikalahkan…

beste/-r/-s, am besten, übertreffen…

best, overgå, beseire…

بہترین, سب سے اچھا, سب سےزیادہ…

найкращий, найкраще, взяти верх…

самый лучший, больше всего, лучше всего…

అత్యుత్తమ నాణ్యత కలిగిన లేక అన్నింటి కన్నా తగిన, ఆహ్లాదకరమైన లేక సమర్థవంతమైన/ప్రభావవంతమైన వస్తువు లేదా వ్యక్తి, చాలా సరిఅయిన…

الأفْضَل, الأحْسَن, أَكْثَر…

সেরা, শ্রেষ্ঠ, সর্বোচ্চ মানের…

nejlepší, nejlépe, přemoci…

paling baik, terbaik, mengalahkan…

ดีที่สุด, เหมาะสมที่สุด, เอาชนะ…

tốt nhất, đẹp nhất, hay nhất…

najlepszy, najbardziej, najlepiej…

“good”의 최상급, 최고의, “well”의 최상급…

superlativo di “good”: migliore, superlativo di “well”: meglio, nel modo migliore…

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bespeak

bespectacled

bespoke

bespoke tailor

best

best ball

best bet idiom

best boy

best buy

Meaning of best in English

Idioms

Idioms

Idioms

best | American Dictionary

best adjective, adverb (HIGHEST QUALITY)

best noun [U] (EXCELLENCE)

Idioms

best verb [T] (DEFEAT)

Translations of best

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