Definitions
01highest quality
A1 · Beginner
adj. better than all others of the same kind.
adj. surpassing all others in excellence, quality, or desirability; the superlative of 'good'.
“This is the best pizza I have ever eaten in this city.”
“After reviewing several competing proposals, the board concluded that this strategy offered the best chance of long-term growth.”
Usage
Usually preceded by 'the' or a possessive pronoun like 'my' or 'her'.
Pitfall
This is the most best day of my life.
This is the best day of my life.
Since 'best' is already a superlative, you do not need to add 'most' before it.
Antonyms
02most effectively
A2 · Elementary
adv. in the most excellent way or to the highest degree.
adv. to the highest degree or in the most effective manner; the superlative of 'well'.
“She works best when the office is quiet and there are no distractions.”
“The software performs best on systems with at least sixteen gigabytes of memory and a dedicated graphics card.”
Usage
Often follows the verb it modifies.
Antonyms
03greatest effort
A2 · Elementary Uncountable noun
n. the highest level of effort you can possibly make.
n. the utmost effort or the highest standard of achievement a person is capable of.
“I don't expect you to win, but I want you to do your best.”
“Despite her best, the athlete finished in fourth place, narrowly missing a spot on the podium.”
Usage
Commonly used in the phrase 'do one's best'.
04the finest people or things
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the person or thing that is better than all the others.
n. the most excellent or desirable person, thing, or aspect within a group.
“We only hire the best to work at our law firm.”
“The anthology features the best of modern poetry, selected by a panel of distinguished critics.”
Usage
Often used as a collective noun with 'the'.
05to defeat
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to defeat someone in a fight or a competition.
v. to gain the advantage over or defeat an opponent in a contest or argument.
“He finally bested his rival in the final round of the tournament.”
“The experienced politician was bested by the newcomer during the televised debate on economic policy.”
Usage
A transitive verb requiring a direct object.
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “best” in context.
Word family
NOUN
Related words
Idioms
01. as best one can
02. best bet
03. best laid plans
06. best pleased
07. best regards
08. best thing since sliced bread
09. best thing since sliced pan
Show all 16
11. level best
12. make the best of
13. make the best of one's way
14. put one's best foot forward
15. six of the best
16. Sunday best
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0