best: Meaning and Definition of
best
Pronunciation: (best), [key]
—adv.,
—n. - 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 prec. by at).
- a person's highest degree of competence, inspiration, etc. (often prec. by at).
- the highest quality to be found in a given activity or category of things (often prec. by at): cabinetmaking at its best.
- the best effort that a person, group, or thing can make: Their best fell far short of excellence.
- a person's best wishes or kindest regards: Please give my best to your father.
- 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.
- under the most favorable circumstances: You may expect to be treated civilly, at best.
- His arthritis gets the best of him from time to time.
- to gain the advantage over.
- to defeat; subdue:His arthritis gets the best of him from time to time.
- to cope with in the best way possible: to make the best of a bad situation.
- on a par with the most capable: He can play bridge with the best.
—v.t. - to get the better of; defeat; beat: He easily bested his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. She bested me in the argument.
Best
Pronunciation: (best), [key] - 1899–1978, Canadian physiologist, born in the U.S.: one of the discoverers of insulin.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.