Etymology : Middle English, from Old English betst; akin to Old English bOt remedy; more at BETTER
Pronunciation : best
Function : adjective, superlative of
Date : before 12th century
1. finest, most excellent; highest endeavor, hardest; holiday clothes, "Sunday best"; compliments, best wishes. get over on someone; beat someone. having the most positive qualities, leading, top, foremost, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality. admost successfully; to the highest degree, most; better; advisable. best\best\ (b&ebreve;st), a.; superl. of good. [as. besta, best, contr. from betest, betst, betsta; akin to goth. batists, ohg. pezzisto, g. best, beste, d. best, icel. beztr, dan. best, sw. b?st. this word has no connection in origin with good. see: better.].
2. having good qualities in the highest degree; most good, kind, desirable, suitable, etc.; most excellent; as, the best man; the best road; the best cloth; the best abilities. when he is best, he is a little worse than a man. heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight.
3. most advanced; most correct or complete; as, the best scholar; the best view of a subject.
4. most; largest; as, the best part of a week.best man, the only or principal groomsman at a wedding ceremony.best \best\, v. t. to get the better of. [colloq.]best \best\, n. utmost; highest endeavor or state; most nearly perfect thing, or being, or action; as, to do one's best; to the best of our ability.
5. Having good qualities in the highest degree; most good, kind, desirable, suitable, etc.; most excellent; as, the best man; the best road; the best cloth; the best abilities.
6. Most advanced; most correct or complete; as, the best scholar; the best view of a subject.
7. Most; largest; as, the best part of a week.
8. Utmost; highest endeavor or state; most nearly perfect thing, or being, or action; as, to do one's best; to the best of our ability.
9. In the highest degree; beyond all others.
10. To the most advantage; with the most success, case, profit, benefit, or propriety.
11. Most intimately; most thoroughly or correctly; as, what is expedient is best known to himself.
12. To get the better of. the supreme effort one can make; "they did their best" the person who is most outstanding or excellent; someone who tops all others; "he could beat the best of them" Canadian physiologist who assisted F.
13. Banting in research leading to the discovery of insulin having the most positive qualities; "the best film of the year"; "the best solution"; "the best time for planting"; "wore his best suit" it would be sensible; "you'd best stay at home" in a most excellent way or manner; "he played best after a couple of martinis".
14. 1. Best is the superlative of good. If you want further information the best thing to do is have a word with the driver as you get on the bus It's not the best place to live if you wish to develop your knowledge and love of mountains.
15. Best is the superlative of well. James Fox is best known as the author of White Mischief.
16. The best is used to refer to things of the highest quality or standard. We offer only the best to our clients He'll have the best of care. ¡Ù worst.
17. Someone's best is the greatest effort or highest achievement or standard that they are capable of. Miss Blockey was at her best when she played the piano One needs to be a first-class driver to get the best out of that sort of machinery.
18. If you say that something is the best that can be done or hoped for, you think it is the most pleasant, successful, or useful thing that can be done or hoped for. A draw seems the best they can hope for The best we can do is try to stay cool and muddle through.
19. If you like something best or like it the best, you prefer it. The thing I liked best about the show was the music Mother liked it best when Daniel got money What was the role you loved the best? = most.
20. Best is used to form the superlative of compound adjectives beginning with `good' and `well'. For example, the superlative of `well-known' is `best-known'. see also:
second best, Sunday best.
21. formulae You can say `All the best' when you are saying goodbye to someone, or at the end of a letter. Wish him all the best, and tell him we miss him.
22. You use best of all to indicate that what you are about to mention is the thing that you prefer or that has most advantages out of all the things you have mentioned. It was comfortable and cheap: best of all, most of the rent was being paid by two American friends.
23. If someone does something as best they can, they do it as well as they can, although it is very difficult. The older people were left to carry on as best they could.
24. You use at best to indicate that even if you describe something as favourably as possible or if it performs as well as it possibly can, it is still not very good. This policy, they say, is at best confused and at worst non-existent.
25. If you do your best or try your best to do something, you try as hard as you can to do it, or do it as well as you can. I'll do my best to find out It wasn't her fault, she was trying her best to help.
26. If you say that something is for the best, you mean it is the most desirable or helpful thing that could have happened or could be done, considering all the circumstances. Whatever the circumstances, parents are supposed to know what to do for the best.
27. If two people are the best of friends, they are close friends, especially when they have had a disagreement or fight in the past. Magda is now married to George Callerby and we are the best of friends.
28. If you say that a particular person knows best, you mean that they have a lot of experience and should therefore be trusted to make decisions for other people. He was convinced that doctors and dentists knew best.
29. If you make the best of something, you accept an unsatisfactory situation cheerfully and try to manage as well as you can. In British English, you can also say that you make the best of a bad job. She instilled in the children the virtues of good hard work, and making the best of what you have.
30. to the best of your ability: see:
ability to hope for the best: see hope to the best of your knowledge: see knowledge best of luck: see luck the best part: see part at the best of times: see time the best of both worlds: see world. American-born Canadian physiologist noted for his work on the discovery and application of insulin.