best

Adjective

best (comparative better or (nonstandard, humorous) bester, superlative (nonstandard, humorous) bestest)

1. superlative form of good: most good.

   I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.

   • 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:

     […] when he is beſt, he is a little worſe then a man, and when he is worſt, he is little better than a beaſt:

   • 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:

     Heav'ns laſt beſt gift, my ever new delight,

   • 2011 October 7, Lana Del Rey, Justin Parker (lyrics and music), “Video Games”, in Born to Die, performed by Lana Del Rey:

     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

   • 2013 August 10, Schumpeter, “Cronies and capitols”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     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.

2. Most; largest.

   Unpacking took the best part of a week.

3. Most superior; most favorable.

   In my opinion, mushrooms are the best pizza toppings.

Adverb

best

1. superlative form of well: most well

   A popular aphorism says it best: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, 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, lines 867–869:

     Out of my ſight, thou Serpent, that name beſt
     Befits thee with him leagu'd, thy ſelf as falſe
     And hateful;

   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […].”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […], →OCLC, page 65, line 1072:

     But had we beſt retire, I ſee a ſtorm?

   • 1797–1798 (date written), [Samuel Taylor Coleridge], “The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere”, in Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems, London: […] J[ohn] & A[rthur] Arch, […], published 1798, →OCLC:

     He prayeth best, who loveth best / All things both great and small.

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

     At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy ; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.

2. To the most advantage; with the most success, cause, profit, benefit, or propriety.

   You'd best save a backup copy, just in case the morons lose the one that you sent and then try to act like you never sent one.

   • 1854, Arthur Pendennis [pseudonym; William Makepeace Thackeray], The Newcomes: Memoirs of a Most Respectable Family, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], →OCLC:

     Had I not best go to her?

Noun

best (countable and uncountable, plural bests)

1. (uncountable) The supreme effort one can make, or has made.

   I did my best.

   My personal best in that race is eighteen minutes, four seconds.

   • 2011 September 28, Tom Rostance, “Arsenal 2 - 1 Olympiakos”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Home defender Per Mertesacker had to be at his best to stop a dangerous cross from Vassilis Torossidis reaching Djebbour, but moments later Arsenal doubled their lead through Santos.

2. (uncountable) One's best behavior.

   I was somewhat distant lately, and my lady promised me head every Tuesday of the week when I’m nice to her, so I better be on my best.

3. (countable) The person (or persons; or thing or things) that is (are) most excellent.

   Even the best of us makes mistakes.

   We're the best of friends.

   I love it so much! It's the best.

   • 1994, Otis L. Guernsey, Jeffrey Sweet, The Best Plays of 1993-1994, page vii:

     Mel Gussow reviews the bests of off off Broadway

   • 1995 October, Cincinnati Magazine, page 5:

     But in true Cincinnati style, the bests consistently outnumber the worsts.

   • 2011, G. Edward Evans, Sheila S. Intner, Jean Riddle Weihs, Introduction to Technical Services, page 149:

     There are the bests for each institution, the bests for coalitions, and, of course, the bests for the group as a whole.

   • 2013, Jesse Jose, Collections Of My Best And Most-Hated, "A Cup O' Kapeng Barako" Writings, page 209:

     If he's one of the bests, he should be fighting the bests, NOT the pipitsugins.

Verb

best (third-person singular simple present bests, present participle besting, simple past and past participle bested)

1. (transitive) To surpass in skill or achievement.
2. (transitive) To beat in a contest.
   • 1944 July and August, Charles E. Lee, “The "City of Truro"”, in Railway Magazine, pages 201–202:

     The Norddeutscher Lloyd steamship Kronprinz Wilhelm left New York on May 3 [1904], at 3.10 p.m. and reached Plymouth Sound on May 9 at 8 a.m. This was then a very fast crossing of the Atlantic, but it was not the record. The same ship had held the "Blue Riband" in 1902, but had been slightly bested by the Kaiser Wilhelm II, a larger vessel of the same line, in 1903, and that stood as the record until the Cunard Line secured the honours in 1909 with the Mauretania and held them for an unbroken period of 20 years.

   • 2010, T. William Phillips, Restless Heart, page 16:

     "You did not win because I was sloppy. You bested me, Uncle. I've never seen you fight like that before.”

Related terms

• better
• bestest

Derived terms

Verb

best

1. (modal verb, colloquial) Had best.

   It's getting late. You best get on home.

   • 1935, Edward Joseph O'Brien, John Cournos, editors, The Best British Short Stories of 1935, page 37:

     'We best be going,' she said, looking at the clock.

   • 2010, Mary B. Morrison, Somebody's Gotta Be On Top:

     Brother, you best be gone when I return.

Adjective

best

1. superlative degree of goed; best
2. fine, okay

   Mag ik buiten spelen? — Ik vind het best, als je maar voor het eten weer thuis bent.

   May I go and play outside? — It's fine with me, as long as you're back home again before dinner.

3. dear, venerable (in a polite address)

   Beste Piet, wij danken je voor 40 jaar trouwe dienst.

   Dear Piet, we thank you for 40 years of loyal service.

Adverb

best

1. quite, rather

   Dat zou best kunnen.

   It's quite possible.

Noun

best f (plural besten, diminutive bestje n)

1. (dated, chiefly diminutive) Alternative form of bes (“old woman”)

Descendants

• Dutch: best
  • Afrikaans: beste
  • Berbice Creole Dutch: besti
  • Negerhollands: bes, best
  • →? Sranan Tongo: besi
• Limburgish: bès

Adjective

best

1. Alternative form of beste

Adverb

best

1. Alternative form of beste

Noun

best

1. Alternative form of beeste

Derived terms

• bestselger
• bestselgende

Descendants

• Low German: best

Derived terms

• ill-best (“best of a bad lot, best of a poor selection”)

Declension