at best

adjective superl. of good with better as compar.

of the highest quality, excellence, or standing: the best work; the best students.

most advantageous, suitable, or desirable: the best way.

largest; most: the best part of a day.

adverb superl. of well with better as compar.

most excellently or suitably; with most advantage or success: an opera role that best suits her voice.

in or to the highest degree; most fully (usually used in combination): best-suited; best-known; best-loved.

00:10

At best is always a great word to know.

So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

noun

something or someone that is best: They always demand and get the best. The best of us can make mistakes.

a person's finest clothing: It's important that you wear your best.

a person's most agreeable or desirable emotional state (often preceded by at ).

a person's highest degree of competence, inspiration, etc. (often preceded by at ).

10.

the highest quality to be found in a given activity or category of things (often preceded by at ): cabinetmaking at its best.

11.

the best effort that a person, group, or thing can make: Their best fell far short of excellence.

12.

a person's best wishes or kindest regards: Please give my best to your father.

verb (used with object)

13.

to get the better of; defeat; beat: He easily bested his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. She bested me in the argument.

Idioms

14.

all for the best, for the good as the final result; to an ultimate advantage: At the time it was hard to realize how it could be all for the best. Also, for the best.

15.

as best one can, in the best way possible under the circumstances: We tried to smooth over the disagreement as best we could.

16.

at best, under the most favorable circumstances: You may expect to be treated civilly, at best.

17.

get/have the best of,

to gain the advantage over.

to defeat; subdue: His arthritis gets the best of him from time to time.

18.

had best, would be wisest or most reasonable to; ought to: You had best phone your mother to tell her where you are going.

19.

make the best of, to cope with in the best way possible: to make the best of a bad situation.

20.

with the best, on a par with the most capable: He can play bridge with the best.

Origin:
before 900; Middle English beste, Old English betst, best; cognate with Dutch best, Old High German bezzist (German best), Old Norse bezt, Gothic batists. See better¹, -est

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To at best

Collins

World English Dictionary

best (bɛst)

—*adj*
1.	the superlative of good
2.	most excellent of a particular group, category, etc
3.	most suitable, advantageous, desirable, attractive, etc
4.	the best part of most of: the best part of an hour
5.	put one's best foot forward
	a. to do one's utmost to make progress
	b. to hurry

—*adv*
6.	the superlative of well
7.	in a manner surpassing all others; most excellently, advantageously, attractively, etc
8.	(in combination) in or to the greatest degree or extent; most: the best-loved hero
9.	as best one can, as best one may as effectively as possible within one's limitations
10.	had best would be wise, sensible, etc, to: you had best go now

—n
11.	the best the most outstanding or excellent person, thing, or group in a category
12.	(often preceded by at) the most excellent, pleasing, or skilled quality or condition: journalism at its best
13.	the most effective effort of which a person or group is capable: even their best was inadequate
14.	a winning majority: the best of three games
15.	Also: all the best best wishes: she sent him her best
16.	a person's smartest outfit of clothing
17.	at best
	a. in the most favourable interpretation
	b. under the most favourable conditions
18.	for the best
	a. for an ultimately good outcome
	b. with good intentions: he meant it for the best
19.	get the best of, have the best of to surpass, defeat, or outwit; better
20.	give someone the best to concede someone's superiority
21.	make the best of to cope as well as possible in the unfavourable circumstances of (often in the phrases make the best of a bad job, make the best of it)
22.	informal six of the best six strokes with a cane on the buttocks or hand

—vb
23.	(tr) to gain the advantage over or defeat

[Old English betst; related to Gothic batista, Old High German bezzist]

Best (bɛst)

—n
1.	Charles Herbert. 1899--1978, Canadian physiologist: associated with Banting and Macleod in their discovery of insulin in 1922
2.	George. 1946--2005, Northern Ireland footballer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

best

O.E., reduced by assimilation of -t- from earlier O.E. betst "best, first, in the best manner," originally superlative of bot "remedy, reparation," the root word now only surviving in to boot (see boot (2)), though its comparative, better, and

superlative, best, transferred to good (and in some cases well). From P.Gmc. root *bat-, with comp. *batizon and superl. *batistaz. The verb "to get the better of" is from 1863. Best-seller is from 1889; best friend was in Chaucer (late 14c.). Best girl is first attested 1887 in a Texas context; best man is 1814, originally Scottish, replacing groomsman.

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

Best (běst), Charles Herbert. 1899-1978.

American-born Canadian physiologist noted for the discovery and successful clinical application of insulin.

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

Best

(běst) Pronunciation Key
American-born Canadian physiologist who assisted Frederick Banting in the discovery of the hormone insulin. In acknowledgment of his work, Banting shared his portion of the 1923 Nobel Prize with Best. In addition to further refining the use of insulin, Best later discovered the vitamin choline and the enzyme histaminase, which breaks down histamine.

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

at best

Under the most favorable circumstances, as in At best we'll be just one week behind schedule, or Cleaning out the attic is a tedious job at best. This idiom, formerly also put as at the best, today is most often used in situations that are actually far from ideal, as in the examples above. [First half of 1300s] For an antonym, see at worst.

Matching Quote

"Only he who can view his own past as an abortion sprung from compulsion and need can use it to full advantage in the present. For what one has lived is at best comparable to a beautiful statue which has had all its limbs knocked off in transit, and now yields nothing but the precious block out of which the image of one's future must be hewn."

-Walter Benjamin

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Idioms & Phrases

at worst

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