English Explanatory Dictionary

best

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. superlative form of good: most good.
  2. Most; largest.
  3. Most superior; most favorable.
adv
  1. superlative form of well: most well
  2. To the most advantage; with the most success, cause, profit, benefit, or propriety.
noun
  1. The supreme effort one can make, or has made.
  2. One's best behavior.
  3. The person (or persons; or thing or things) that is (are) most excellent.
verb
  1. To surpass in skill or achievement.
  2. To beat in a contest.
verb
  1. Had best.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. A village and municipality in North Brabant province, Netherlands.

Pronunciation

/ˈbɛst/ en-us-best.ogg /ˈbest/ en-au-best.ogg /bɛst/

Word forms

best bester bestest bests besting bested no-table-tags glossary

Etymology

From Middle English best, beste, 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”).

Synonyms

optimal all that and a bag of chips antelope's cantaloupes ant's pants bee's knees bollocks cat's ass cat's meow cat's pajamas cat's pyjamas cat's whiskers cream of the crop crème de la crème da bomb dog's bollocks dog's dangly bits finger-lickin' good finger-licking good flea's eyebrows fox's socks greatest thing since sliced bread gold standard kitty's titties llama's pajamas mutt's nuts ne plus ultra spider's ankles the bomb the business the shit the tits

Antonyms

worst baddest

Related words

best off good excellent better bestest

Derived words

accidents will happen in the best regulated families alderbest as best as one can at one's best attack is the best form of defence attack is the best form of defense at the best at the best of times best and fairest best ball best before best-before date best before date best bet best bib and tucker best bitter best bower best boy best-by date best-case best-case scenario best case scenario best efforts best end bester bestest best evidence rule best form lens best friend best friend forever best gal best girl best in class best-kept secret Best Korea best laid plans best maid best man bestness best of best-of best of both worlds best of breed best of British best of British luck best off best of luck best of the bunch best on ground best-paid best parlour best part of best pleased best practice best regards bestseller best-seller best-selling bestshoring best thing since sliced bread
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