What does “best” mean?
- 1
adjectivebetter than all others
This is the best pizza in town.
- 2
adverbin the most effective or pleasing way
Which song do you like best?
- 3
nounthe greatest effort or the highest standard
Just do your best.
Best at a glance
- Part of speech
- adjective, adverb & noun
- CEFR level
- A1 (beginner)
- Pronunciation
- /bɛst/ · BEST
How to use “best” correctly
“Best” is the superlative of “good” and “well”, so it usually takes “the”: “the best day ever”.
Common phrases with “best”
- best friend
- do your best
- at best
- all the best
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- worst
Idioms with “best”
- The best of both worlds: A situation where you get the advantages of two different things at once.
- Give it your best shot: Try as hard as you can, even if you might not succeed.
- The best thing since sliced bread: An excellent new idea, product or person, often said with some humour.
“best” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- better adjectiveA1of a higher standard or more suitable than something else
- big adjectiveA1large in size or amount
- different adjectiveA1not the same as another person or thing
- first adjectiveA1coming before all others in time, order or importance
- free adjectiveA1costing no money
- full adjectiveA1holding as much or as many as possible
- great adjectiveA1very good or enjoyable
- high adjectiveA1a long way from the bottom to the top, or far above the ground