best
See also: Best
best - English
Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈbɛst/
Adjective
best (positive good, adverb well, comparative better, superlative (humorous) bestest)
- superlative form of good: most good.
- I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.
- Most; largest.
- Unpacking took the best part of a week.
- Most superior; most favorable.
- In my opinion, mushrooms are the best pizza toppings.
Usage notes
The comparative gooder and superlative goodest derived from the positive good are nonstandard. In informal (often jocular) contexts, best may be inflected further and given the comparative bester and the superlative bestest; these forms are also nonstandard.
Antonyms
Derived terms
- accidents will happen in the best regulated families
- at one's best
- attack is the best form of defence
- attack is the best form of defense
- at the best
- at the best of times
- best-before date
- best-by date
- best-case
- best-case scenario
- best-kept secret
- best-of
- best-seller
- best-selling
- best and fairest
- best ball
- best before date
- best bet
- best bib and tucker
- best bitter
- best bower
- best boy
- best case scenario
- best efforts
- bester
- bestest
- best evidence rule
- best form lens
- best friend
- best friend forever
- best gal
- best girl
- best laid plans
- best maid
- best man
- bestness
- best of
- best of both worlds
- best of breed
- best of British
- best off
- best of luck
- best of the bunch
- best on ground
- best part of
- best pleased
- best practice
- best regards
- best thing since sliced bread
- best thing since sliced pan
- best wishes
- 'd best
- diamonds are a girl's best friend
- do one's best
- experience is the best teacher
- for best
- for the best
- give it one's best shot
- have the best of it
- he who laughs last laughs best
- honesty is the best policy
- hunger is the best sauce
- hunger is the best spice
- it happens to the best of us
- laughter is the best medicine
- level best
- line of best fit
- live one's best life
- look one's best
- make the best of a bad bargain
- make the best of a bad job
- make the best of one's way
- man's best friend
- personal best
- put one's best foot foremost
- put one's best foot forward
- revenge is a dish best served cold
- second best
- six of the best
- Sunday-best
- Sunday best
- sunlight is the best disinfectant
- take one's best shot
- the best defence is attack
- the best defense is a good offense
- the best is the enemy of the good
- the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray
- the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry
- the best things in life are free
- third best
- to the best of one's knowledge
- wife's best friend
- with the best
- with the best of them
- with the best will in the world
Adverb
best
Noun
best (countable and uncountable, plural bests)
- (uncountable) The supreme effort one can make, or has made.
- I did my best.
- My personal best in that race is eighteen minutes, four seconds.
- (uncountable) One's best behavior.
- I was somewhat distant lately, and my lady promised me head every Tuesday of the week when I’m nice to her, so I better be on my best.
- (countable) The person (or persons; or thing or things) that is (are) most excellent.
- Even the best of us makes mistakes.
- We're the best of friends.
Derived terms
Translations
|
|
|
Verb
best (third-person singular simple present bests, present participle besting, simple past and past participle bested)
Conjugation
Antonyms
Translations
|
Related terms
Derived terms
- all for the best
- all the best
- as best one can
- at best
- best of the best
- for one's best
- get the best of
- had best
- have the best of
- make the best of
- the best part of
- with the best (of them)
Verb
best
- (modal verb, colloquial) Had best.
- It's getting late. You best get on home.
Usage notes
- Although it is sometimes considered an adverb, best is virtually synonymous with should in We best be going. and ought to We best go.. Should and ought are auxiliary verbs.
Anagrams
best - Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA: /bɛst/
- Hyphenation: best
- Homophone: Best
Adjective
best
- Superlative form of goed; best.
- fine, okay
- Mag ik buiten spelen? — Ik vind het best, als je maar voor het eten weer thuis bent.
- May I go and play outside? — It's fine with me, as long as you're back home again before dinner.
Inflection
- (definite inflected form): beste
Synonyms
- (fine): prima
Descendants
Adverb
best
Noun
best f (plural besten, diminutive bestje n)
- (dated, chiefly diminutive) Alternative form of bes (“old woman”).
best - Middle Dutch
Pronunciation
- IPA: /best/
Adjective
best
Adverb
best
Descendants
best - Middle English
Adjective
best
- Alternative form of beste
Adverb
best
- Alternative form of beste
Noun
best
- Alternative form of beeste
best - Norwegian Bokmål
Adjective
best
- indefinite singular superlative degree of god: best
- indefinite singular superlative degree of bra: best
Derived terms
best - Norwegian Nynorsk
Adjective
best
best - Old Saxon
Alternative forms
Adverb
best
Descendants
- Low German: best
best - Scots
Pronunciation
- IPA: [bɛst]
Adjective
best
- superlative degree of guid
Derived terms
- ill-best (“best of a bad lot, best of a poor selection”)
Noun
best (plural bests)
best - Swedish
Pronunciation
- Homophone: bäst
Noun
best c
Declension
| Declension of best | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
| Nominative | best | besten | bestar | bestarna |
| Genitive | bests | bestens | bestars | bestarnas |