Best

/ˈbɛst/ adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang

adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: The supreme effort one can make, or has made.
  • Grammar: best is listed as adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: advantageously, advisable, all that and a bag of chips, ant's pants.
  • Useful contrasts: baddest, pessimal, worst.
  • Usage evidence: I'll do my best not to disturb your studying.

How to use "best"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "best" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "best" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "best" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "best" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "best" is acting as adj, adv, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "advantageously" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "best", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The supreme effort one can make, or has made. often, uncountable

    "I did my best."

  2. 2
    the supreme effort one can make wordnet
  3. 3
    One's best behavior. often, uncountable

    "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."

  4. 4
    the person who is most outstanding or excellent; someone who tops all others wordnet
  5. 5
    The person (or persons; or thing or things) that is (are) most excellent. countable, often

    "Even the best of us makes mistakes, but only a few with the best of intentions..."

Verb
  1. 1
    To surpass in skill or achievement. transitive
  2. 2
    Had best. colloquial, modal

    "It's getting late. You best get on home."

  3. 3
    get the better of wordnet
  4. 4
    To beat in a contest. transitive

    "The Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship Kronprinz Wilhelm left New York on May 3 [1904], at 3.10 p.m. and reached Plymouth Sound on May 9 at 8 a.m. This was then a very fast crossing of the Atlantic, but it was not the record. The same ship had held the "Blue Riband" in 1902, but had been slightly bested by the Kaiser Wilhelm II, a larger vessel of the same line, in 1903, and that stood as the record until the Cunard Line secured the honours in 1909 with the Mauretania and held them for an unbroken period of 20 years."

Adjective
  1. 1
    superlative form of good: most good. form-of, superlative

    "I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy."

  2. 2
    Most; largest.

    "Unpacking took the best part of a week."

  3. 3
    Most superior; most favorable.

    "In my opinion, mushrooms are the best pizza toppings."

Adjective
  1. 1
    (comparative and superlative of ‘well’) wiser or more advantageous and hence advisable wordnet
  2. 2
    (superlative of ‘good’) having the most positive qualities wordnet
Adverb
  1. 1
    superlative form of well: most well form-of, superlative

    "A popular aphorism says it best: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

  2. 2
    To the most advantage; with the most success, cause, profit, benefit, or propriety.

    "You'd best save a backup copy, just in case the morons lose the one that you sent and then try to act like you never sent one."

Adverb
  1. 1
    it would be sensible wordnet
  2. 2
    in a most excellent way or manner wordnet
  3. 3
    from a position of superiority or authority wordnet
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    A village and municipality in North Brabant province, Netherlands. countable, uncountable

Synonyms

All synonyms
advantageouslyadvisableall that and a bag of chipsant's pantsantelope's cantaloupesapex

Example

"I'll do my best not to disturb your studying."

Common questions

What does "best" mean?

The supreme effort one can make, or has made.

What is a synonym for "best"?

Common synonyms include: advantageously, advisable, all that and a bag of chips, ant's pants, antelope's cantaloupes, apex.

How do you use "best" in a sentence?

I'll do my best not to disturb your studying.

How do you pronounce "best"?

Pronounced /ˈbɛst/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English beste, best, from Old English betst, betest, from Proto-Germanic *batistaz. Cognates Cognate with Scots best (“best”), Cimbrian peste, péste (“best”), Dutch best (“best”), German beste (“best”), Yiddish בעסט (best, “best”), Danish bedst (“best”), Faroese bestur (“best”), Icelandic bestur, beztur (“best”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk best (“best”), Swedish bäst (“best”), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐍄𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍃 (batists, “best”).

Etymology 2

Shortening of had best

Etymology 3

From German Beste (“a river in Germany”) or from Anglo-Norman beste (“beast”).

More for "best"

Synonyms

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