Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Best

Best

(bĕst)
,
Adj.
; 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.
bäst
. This word has no connection in origin with
good
. See
Better
.]
1.
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.
Shakespeare
Heaven’s last,
best
gift, my ever new delight.
Milton.
2.
Most advanced; most correct or complete;
as, the
best
scholar; the
best
view of a subject
.
3.
Most; largest;
as, the
best
part of a week
.
Best man
,
the only or principal groomsman at a wedding ceremony.

Best

,
Noun.
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
.
At best
,
in the utmost degree or extent applicable to the case; under the most favorable circumstances; as, life is at best very short.
–
For best
,
finally.
[Obs.]
“Those constitutions . . . are now established for best, and not to be mended.”
Milton.
–
To get the best of
,
to gain an advantage over, whether fairly or unfairly.
–
To make the best of
.
(a)
To improve to the utmost; to use or dispose of to the greatest advantage.
“Let there be freedom to carry their commodities where they can make the best of them.”
Bacon.
(b)
To reduce to the least possible inconvenience; as, to make the best of ill fortune or a bad bargain.

Best

,
adv.
;
sup
erl.
of
Well
.
1.
In the highest degree; beyond all others.
“Thou serpent! That name best befits thee.”
Milton.
He prayeth
best
, who loveth
best

All things both great and small.
Coleridge.
2.
To the most advantage; with the most success, case, profit, benefit, or propriety.
Had we
best
retire? I see a storm.
Milton.
Had I not
best
go to her?
Thackeray.
3.
Most intimately; most thoroughly or correctly;
as, what is expedient is
best
known to himself
.

Best

,
Verb.
T.
To get the better of.
[Colloq.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Best

BEST

,
Adj.
superlative. [Eng.but;] Literally, most advanced, Hence,
1.
Most good; having good qualities in the highest degree; applied indifferently to physical or moral subjects; as, the best man; the best road; the best cloth; the best abilities. This, like most, and other attributes, is often used without its noun, when the noun is obvious; as, men are all sinners; the best of them fail in the performance of duty.
2.
Most advanced; most accurate; as the best scholar.
3.
Most correct or complete; as the best view of a landscape, or of a subject.
4.
The best. This phrase is elliptical, and may be variously interpreted; as, the utmost power; the strongest endeavor; the most, the highest perfection; as, let a man do his best; let him do a thing to the best of his power.
5.
At best, in the best manner, in the utmost degree or extent, applicable to the case; as, life is at best very short.
To make the best of, to carry to its greatest perfection; to improve to the utmost; as, to make the best of a sum of money, or a piece of land. Also, to permit the least possible inconvenience; as, to make the best of ill fortune or a bad bargain.
The best of the way. We had made the best of our way to the city; that is, the most, the greatest part of the distance. [This is the primary sense of the word.]

BEST

,
adv.
In the highest degree; beyond all other; as, to love one best; to like this best; to please best.
1.
To the advantage; with the most ease; as,'which instrument can you best use?'
2.
With most profit or success; as, money is best employed in manufactures; this medicine will answer best in the present case.
3.
Most intimately or particularly; most correctly; as, what is expedient is best known to himself.

Definition 2024

Best

Best

See also: best

English

Proper noun

Best

  1. A surname​.

best

best

See also: Best

English

Adjective

best

  1. superlative form of good: most good.
    I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.‎
    • William Shakespeare (1564-1616)
      When he is best, he is a little worse than a man.
    • John Milton (1608-1674)
      Heaven's last, best gift
    • 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. […] Governments have to find the best people to fill important jobs: there is a limited supply of people who understand the financial system, for example. But governments must also remember that businesses are self-interested actors who will try to rig the system for their own benefit.
  2. Most; largest.
    Unpacking took the best part of a week.‎

Usage notes

In informal (often jocular) contexts, best may be inflected further and given the comparative bester and the superlative bestest; these forms are nonstandard.

Derived terms

Antonyms

Translations

Adverb

best

  1. superlative form of well: most well
    • John Milton (1608-1674)
      Thou serpent! That name best befits thee.
    • Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
      He prayeth best, who loveth best / All things both great and small.
    • 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter VIII”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
      At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy ; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.
  2. To the most advantage; with the most success, cause, profit, benefit, or propriety.

Translations

Noun

best ‎(countable and uncountable, plural bests)

  1. (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.
    • 2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport:
      Home defender Per Mertesacker had to be at his best to stop a dangerous cross from Vassilis Torossidis reaching Djebbour, but moments later Arsenal doubled their lead through Santos.
  2. (countable) The person (or persons; or thing or things) that is (are) most excellent.
    • 1994, Otis L. Guernsey and Jeffrey Sweet, The Best Plays of 1993-1994, page vii:
      Mel Gussow reviews the bests of off off Broadway
    • 1995 October, Cincinnati Magazine, :
      But in true Cincinnati style, the bests consistently outnumber the worsts.
    • 2011, G. Edward Evans, Sheila S. Intner, and Jean Riddle Weihs, Introduction to Technical Services, page 149:
      There are the bests for each institution, the bests for coalitions, and, of course, the bests for the group as a whole.
    • 2013, Jesse Jose, Collections Of My Best And Most-Hated, "A Cup O' Kapeng Barako" Writings, page 209:
      If he's one of the bests, he should be fighting the bests, NOT the pipitsugins.

Translations

Verb

best ‎(third-person singular simple present bests, present participle besting, simple past and past participle bested)

  1. To surpass in skill or achievement.
  2. (transitive) To beat in a contest;
    • 2010, T. William Phillips, Restless Heart, page 16:
      "You did not win because I was sloppy. You bested me, Uncle. I've never seen you fight like that before.”

Antonyms

Translations

Related terms

Derived terms

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: until · does · Gutenberg · #245: best · word · light · felt

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɛst

Etymology

From Middle Dutch best, from Old Dutch *betst, from Proto-Germanic *batistaz, superlative of *gōdaz. Compare Low German best, English best, West Frisian best, German besten, Danish bedst.

Adjective

best

  1. Superlative form of goed; best.
  2. 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.

Synonyms

Adverb

best

  1. quite, rather
    Dat zou best kunnen.
    It's quite possible.

Derived terms

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *betst, from Proto-Germanic *batistaz, superlative of *gōdaz.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /best/

Adjective

best

  1. best; superlative degree of goet

Adverb

best

  1. best; superlative degree of wel

Descendants

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

best

  1. indefinite superlative of god
  2. indefinite superlative of bra

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

best

  1. indefinite superlative of god
  2. indefinite superlative of bra

Old Saxon

Alternative forms

Etymology

from Proto-Germanic *batistaz ‎(“best”).

Adverb

best

  1. best

Descendants

Scots

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [bɛst]

Adjective

best

  1. superlative degree of guid

Derived terms

  • ill-best ‎(“best of a bad lot, best of a poor selection”)

Noun

best ‎(plural bests)

  1. groomsman

Swedish

Noun

best c

  1. beast

Declension

Inflection of best 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative best besten bestar bestarna
Genitive bests bestens bestars bestarnas

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɛst/
  • Rhymes: -ɛst

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