best

(bĕst)
adj. Superlative of good.

1. Surpassing all others in excellence, achievement, or quality; most excellent: the best performer; the best grade of ore.
2. Most satisfactory, suitable, or useful; most desirable: the best solution; the best time for planting.
3. Greatest; most: He spoke for the best part of an hour.
4. Most highly skilled: the best doctor in town.

adv. Superlative of well².

1. In a most excellent way; most creditably or advantageously.
2. To the greatest degree or extent; most: "He was certainly the best hated man in the ship" (W. Somerset Maugham).

n.

1. One that surpasses all others.
2. The best part, moment, or value: The best is still to come. Let's get the best out of life.
3. The optimum condition or quality: look your best. She was at her best in the freestyle competition.
4. One's nicest or most formal clothing.
5. The supreme effort one can make: doing our best.
6. One's warmest wishes or regards: Give them my best.

tr.v., best·ed, best·ing, bests.
To get the better of; beat: "I'm a rough customer, I expect, but I know when I'm bested" (Nathanael West).

idioms:

at best

1. Interpreted most favorably; at the most: no more than 40 people at best in attendance.
2. Under the most favorable conditions: has a top speed of 20 miles per hour at best.

for the best

1. With an ultimately positive or preferable result.

get (or have) the best of

1. To outdo or outwit; defeat: My opponent got the best of me in the debate.

make the best of

1. Accept (a bad situation) in as good a light as possible.

[Middle English, from Old English betst.]

USAGE NOTE   According to a traditional rule of grammar, better, not best, should be used in comparisons between two things: Which house of Congress has the better attendance record? This rule is often ignored in practice, but it still has many devoted adherents. In certain fixed expressions, however, best is used idiomatically for comparisons between two: Put your best foot forward. May the best team win! See Usage Notes at have, rather.

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Newly declassified documents reveal that in 1971, president Richard Nixon and his national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, made highly unflattering remarks about Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi and the Indian people in general:

"Kissinger also told his boss that he had bested Gandhi in their meeting."

Link: Nixon Called Indira Gandhi an 'Old Witch'

Posted June 30, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

adjective

1. Surpassing all others in quality: optimal, optimum, superlative, unsurpassed. See better/worse.
2. Much more than half: better, greater, larger, largest, most. See better/worse, big/small/amount.

noun

1. The superlative or most preferable part of something: choice, cream, crème de la crème, elite, flower, pick, prize, top. Idioms: cream of the crop, flower of the flock, pick of the bunchcrop. See better/worse.
2. Friendly greetings: regard (used in plural), respect (used in plural). See greeting.

verb

1. To be greater or better than: better, exceed, excel, outdo, outmatch, outrun, outshine, outstrip, pass, surpass, top, transcend. Informal beat. Idioms: go beyond, go one better. See big/small/amount.
2. To win a victory over, as in battle or a competition: beat, conquer, defeat, master, overcome, prevail against (or over), rout, subdue, subjugate, surmount, triumph over, vanquish, worst. Informal trim, whip. Slang ace, lick. Idioms: carrywinthe day, gethavethe best of, gethavethe better of, go someone one better. See win/lose/recovery.

Idioms beginning with best:
best of both worlds, the
best part of something

See also all for the best; all the best; as best one can; at best; at one's best; come off (second-best); do one's best; get the better (best) of; give it one's best shot; had better (best); make the best of it; on one's best behavior; put one's best foot forward; second best; Sunday best; in one's (best) interest; to the best of one's ability; with the best of them; with the best will in the world. Also see under better.

adj

Definition: correct, right
Antonyms: incorrect, not right

adj

Definition: most excellent
Antonyms: fewest, least, worst

adv

Definition: most excellently
Antonyms: worst

n

Definition: most outstanding thing in class
Antonyms: worst

v

Definition: defeat; gain advantage
Antonyms: give up, lose, relent, surrender

sign description: The open hand begins at the mouth with the fingertips on the lips. The hand then moves away and closes as the 10-handshape moves up along the side of the head.

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For a list of words related to best, see:

• Maximizers and Superlatives

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See words rhyming with "best."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Best.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - bedst
adv. - bedst, højest, mest
n. - bedste, toppen
v. tr. - overgå, slå

idioms:

• all the best    held og lykke, mine bedste ønsker, de bedste hilsner
• as best one can    efter bedste evne
• at best    i bedste fald
• at the best of times    i heldigste fald
• best man    forlover
• best of all    bedste af alt, bedste ved det hele
• best seller    bestseller
• do one's best    gøre det bedste man kan, efter bedste evne
• for the best    til gavn for
• get the best of    narre, udmanøvrere
• have the best of    gå af med sejren, løbe med laurbærrene
• make the best of    få det bedste ud af
• the best of both worlds    både blæse og have mel i munden
• the best part    størstedelen af, det meste af
• to the best of one's knowledge    så vidt man ved, efter sin bedste overbevisning

Nederlands (Dutch)
beste, het meest, de/ het beste, beste kleren, verslaan

Français (French)
adj. - le/la meilleur(e)
adv. - le plus, le mieux
n. - le mieux, le meilleur, amicalement, amitiés, bonne chance, le maximum, pleine forme, le dessus
v. tr. - battre, l'emporter sur

idioms:

• all the best    bonne chance, salut (fam), amitiés, amicalement (fin d'une lettre)
• as best one can    aussi mieux possible
• at best    au mieux, dans le meilleur des cas, au maximum, au plus, tout au plus
• at the best of times    dans les circonstances les plus favorables
• best man    témoin, garçon d'honneur
• best of all    meilleur de tout, mieux que tout
• best seller    succès de librairie, livre à succès, (Comm) article très demandé, auteur à succès
• do one's best    faire de son mieux
• for the best    pour le meilleur, dans les meilleures intentions
• get the best of    l'emporter, avoir le dessus
• have the best of    profiter de
• make the best of    s'accommoder de qch du mieux qu'on peut
• the best of both worlds    (gagner) sur les deux tableaux, (vouloir) tout avoir
• the best part of    la meilleure part de

Deutsch (German)
adj. - bester
adv. - am meisten, am besten
n. - das Beste
v. - schlagen

idioms:

• all the best    alles Gute
• as best one can    so gut wie möglich
• at best    bestenfalls
• at the best of times    normalerweise
• best man    Trauzeuge
• best of all    am allerbesten
• best seller    Verkaufsschlager, Bestseller
• do one's best    sein Bestes tun
• for the best    zum Guten
• get the best of    gut damit fahren, gut dabei wegkommen
• have the best of    gut damit fahren, gut dabei wegkommen
• make the best of    das Beste machen aus
• the best of both worlds    das Beste beider Welten
• the best part of    der größte Teil

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - καλύτερος, άριστος
v. - ξεπερνώ, επικρατώ
adv. - καλύτερα, κατά τον καλύτερο τρόπο, περισσότερο (απ' όλους)
n. - το καλύτερο, το βέλτιστο, το άριστο, τα καλύτερα ρούχα, η (νικώσα) πλειοψηφία

idioms:

• all the best    καλή τύχη
• as best one can    όσο μπορώ καλύτερα
• at best    στην καλύτερη περίπτωση
• at the best of times    ακόμα και υπό τις ευνοϊκότερες συνθήκες, στην καλύτερη περίπτωση
• best man    κουμπάρος, παράνυμφος
• best of all    καλύτερα από κάθε άλλο
• best seller    μεγάλη εκδοτική επιτυχία, μπεστ σέλερ
• do one's best    βάζω τα δυνατά μου, κάνω ό, τι μπορώ
• for the best    για (το) καλό
• get the best of    υπερισχύω
• have the best of    έχω το πλεονέκτημα
• make the best of    αντιμετωπίζω ή εκμεταλλεύομαι κατά τον καλύτερο δυνατό τρόπο
• the best of both worlds    ο καλύτερος δυνατός συνδυασμός, ό, τι το καλύτερο
• the best part    το μεγαλύτερο μέρος
• to the best of one's knowledge    απ' όσο ξέρω

Italiano (Italian)
sconfiggere, nel modo migliore, meglio, di piú, il migliore

idioms:

• all the best    migliori auguri
• as best one can    il meglio possibile
• at best    al massimo, tuttalpiù
• at the best of times    il piú delle volte
• best man    testimone dello sposo
• best of all    meglio di tutto
• best seller    di grande successo
• do one's best    fare del proprio meglio
• for the best    per il meglio
• make the best of    fare il massimo
• the best of both worlds    tutti i vantaggi disponibili
• the best part    la maggior parte
• to the best of one's knowledge    per quanto uno ne sappia

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - o melhor
v. - levar a melhor sobre
adv. - do melhor modo
n. - o melhor (m), o máximo (m), as melhores pessoas (f pl)

idioms:

• all the best    tudo de bom!
• as best one can    o melhor que você puder
• at best    na melhor das hipóteses
• at the best of times    nos melhores momentos
• best man    padrinho (m) de casamento
• best of all    o melhor de tudo
• best seller    livro (m) de grande aceitação
• do one's best    fazer o possível
• for the best    com as melhores intenções
• get the best of    levar vantagem
• have the best of    levar vantagem
• make the best of    fazer o melhor possível em circunstâncias desfavoráveis
• the best of both worlds    as vantagens obtidas de duas situações ou ações diferentes
• the best part    a melhor parte
• to the best of one's knowledge    ao que se saiba

Русский (Russian)
брать верх над кем-либо, лучше всех, лучше всего, наилучший

idioms:

• all the best    тем лучше, всего лучшего
• as best one can    как можно лучше
• at best    по крайней мере, как минимум
• at the best of times    в самый удачный момент
• best man    шафер
• best of all    лучше всех, лучше всего
• best seller    бестселлер
• do one's best    делать все возможное
• for the best    к лучшему
• get the best of    преодолеть
• have the best of    преодолеть, иметь лучший выбор, иметь лучшее из
• make the best of    выйти из затруднительного положения, обернуть в свою пользу, примириться
• the best of both worlds    взять лучшее с каждого положения
• the best part    большая часть
• to the best of one's knowledge    насколько (мне) известно

Español (Spanish)
adj. - mejor, óptimo, superior
adv. - mejor, mucho, en alto grado
n. - lo mejor
v. tr. - vencer, ganar

idioms:

• all the best    ¡que le vaya bien!, ¡felicitaciones!
• as best one can    lo mejor posible
• at best    en el mejor de los casos, a lo más
• at the best of times    aún en las circunstancias más favorables
• best man    padrino de boda
• best of all    lo mejor de todo
• best seller    éxito de librería, superventas
• do one's best    en plena forma, como nunca
• for the best    más vale que sea así
• get the best of    obtener lo mejor de
• have the best of    tener lo mejor de
• make the best of    sacar el mejor partido, conformarse
• the best of both worlds    quiere tenerlo todo
• the best part of    la mayor parte, lo mejor

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - bäst, mest, helst
v. - slå, få övertaget över
adv. - bäst, mest, helst
n. - det bästa, fördel

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
最好的, 道德最高尚的, 最熟练的, 最适当的, 最好地, 最有效地, 最适当地, 最, 最好, 最好的人, 最佳, 最好的事物, 打败, 欺骗, 胜过

idioms:

• all the best    ...反而最好, 祝一切顺利
• as best one can    竭力, 尽力
• at best    至多, 充其量
• at the best of times    在最有利的情况下
• best man    男傧相
• best of all    最好的
• best seller    畅销书, 畅销唱片
• do one's best    尽全力
• for the best    出于好意
• get the best of    战胜, 击败
• have the best of    胜过
• make the best of    充分利用
• the best of both worlds    两全其美
• the best part    最大的部分
• to the best of one's knowledge    就某人所理解

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 最好的, 道德最高尚的, 最熟練的, 最適當的
adv. - 最好地, 最有效地, 最適當地, 最
n. - 最好, 最好的人, 最佳, 最好的事物
v. tr. - 打敗, 欺騙, 勝過

idioms:

• all the best    ...反而最好, 祝一切順利
• as best one can    竭力, 盡力
• at best    至多, 充其量
• at the best of times    在最有利的情況下
• best man    男儐相
• best of all    最好的
• best seller    暢銷書, 暢銷唱片
• do one's best    盡全力
• for the best    出於好意
• get the best of    戰勝, 擊敗
• have the best of    勝過
• make the best of    充分利用
• the best of both worlds    兩全其美
• the best part    最大的部分
• to the best of one's knowledge    就某人所理解

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 최고급[대]의, 가장 알맞은
adv. - 가장 잘, 제일, 몹시
n. - 최선
v. tr. - ~에게 이기다, ~을 앞지르다

idioms:

• as best one can    될 수 있는 데로, 힘 닿는데 까지
• at best    잘 해야
• at the best of times    가장 좋은 때
• do one's best    전력을 다하다
• get the best of    ~를 이기다, 속이다
• have the best of    ~를 이기다, 속이다
• make the best of    ~을 최대한 이용하다, ~로 만족하다
• the best of both worlds    이해가 상반되는 두 가지 일의 일치
• the best part    대부분
• the best part    최상의 부분
• to the best of one's knowledge    지식이 미치는 한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 最もよい, 最良の, この上ない, 最大の
adv. - 最もよく, 最も, 一番
n. - 最もよいもの, 最上, 晴れ着
v. - 負かす

idioms:

• all the best    幸あれ
• as best one can    できるだけ
• at best    よくても, せいぜい
• at the best of times    最も良い時でも
• best bib and tucker    晴れ着
• best man    新郎付き添い役, 新郎付添い役
• best of all    とりわけ
• best of both worlds    異なる二つのもののそれぞれの長所
• best seller    ベストセラー
• Best wishes    どうぞよろしく
• do one's best    最善を尽くす
• for reasons best known to    個人的な理由で
• for the best    結局は一番よい
• get the best of    勝つ, で最も利を得る
• have the best of    …をしのぐ, 出し抜く
• make the best of    最大限利用する, あきらめてやる
• put one's best foot forward    急いで行く, 全力を尽くす
• the best of both worlds    物心両面の利益, 一挙両得
• the best part    大部分
• the best thing since sliced bread    史上最良のもの
• to the best of one's ability    力の及ぶ限り
• to the best of one's knowledge    知るかぎりでは, 確かに
• to the best of someone's recollection    記憶する限りでは

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) أفضل, أحسن, أجود (فعل) تغلب على, ظفر على (ظرف) ينبغي أن, يجدر أن, على أفضل وجه (الاسم) الأحسن, الأفضل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮הטוב ביותר, הכי‬
adv. - ‮באופן הטוב ביותר, במידה הרבה ביותר‬
n. - ‮הכי, היתרון הגדול ביותר‬
v. tr. - ‮גבר על, הביס‬

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