# best

/ˈbɛst/ (US) · /bˈɛst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/best
Updated: 2026-05-31

## Senses

### 1. highest quality

adjective · CEFR A1

better than all others of the same kind.

For teachers: 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'.

### 2. most effectively

adverb · CEFR A2

in the most excellent way or to the highest degree.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. greatest effort

noun · CEFR A2

the highest level of effort you can possibly make.

For teachers: 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'.

### 4. the finest people or things

noun · CEFR B1

the person or thing that is better than all the others.

For teachers: 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'.

### 5. to defeat

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to defeat someone in a fight or a competition.

For teachers: 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.