best
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈbɛst/
rhymes: -ɛst
Forms: form: bester
form: bestest
Etymology: From Middle English beste, best, 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”).
Senses: examples: text: I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.
text: […] when he is beſt, he is a little worſe then a man, and when he is worſt, he is little better than a beaſt:
ref: c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 163, column 1:
text: Heav'ns laſt beſt gift, my ever new delight,
ref: 1667, John Milton, “Book V”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, line 19:
text: Swinging in the backyard
 Pull up in your fast car whistling my name
 Open up a beer
 And you say get over here and play a video game
 […]
 I say you the bestest
 Lean in for a big kiss, put his favorite perfume on
 Go play your video game
ref: 2011 October 7, Lana Del Rey, Justin Parker, “Video Games”, in Born to Die, performed by Lana Del Rey:
text: 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.
ref: 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
text: There's no common goal
There's no common feeling
To have the best house in the worst city
ref: 2025 July 19, Pacifik, “Country’s Calling”, in Wonderfool, performed by Pacifik:
glosses: superlative form of good: most good.
examples: text: Unpacking took the best part of a week.
glosses: Most; largest.
examples: text: In my opinion, mushrooms are the best pizza toppings.
glosses: Most superior; most favorable.
Synonyms: optimal
Derived terms: 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 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
best-seller
bestseller
best-selling
bestshoring
best thing since sliced bread
best thing since sliced pan
best wishes
come off second best
'd best
diamonds are a girl's best friend
do one's best
experience is the best teacher
failure is the best teacher
first best
for best
for the best
give it one's best shot
give one's best
have the best of it
he laughs best that laughs last
he who laughs last laughs best
honesty is the best policy
hunger is the best pickle
hunger is the best sauce
hunger is the best seasoning
hunger is the best spice
inference to the best explanation
it happens to the best of us
laughter is the best medicine
level best
line of best fit
live one's best life
look one's best
make the best of a bad bargain
make the best of a bad job
make the best of one's way
man's best friend
of the best water
outbest
personal best
put one's best foot foremost
put one's best foot forward
revenge is a dish best served cold
save the best for last
second best
six of the best
sum of best
Sunday best
Sunday-best
sunlight is the best disinfectant
take one's best shot
the best defence is attack
the best defense is a good offense
the best is the enemy of the good
the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray
the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry
the best things in life are free
the best things in life aren't things
the next best thing
third best
to the best of one's knowledge
wife's best friend
with the best
with the best of them
with the best will in the world
work best under pressure