Phrase guide

at best

prep_phrase · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

In the most favorable of conditions, especially in a situation that is otherwise negative.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: at worst

2

adverb

Meaning 2

under the best of conditions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • at best we'll lose only the money

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: at the best

Antonyms: at worst

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

26 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: على أفضل تقدير — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Catalan: com a molt — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Catalan: com a màxim — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Chinese Mandarin: 充其量 (chōngqíliàng) — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Czech: přinejlepším — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Esperanto: plejbonokaze — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Finnish: parhaimmillaan — in the most favorable of conditions
  • French: au mieux — in the most favorable of conditions
  • German: bestenfalls — in the most favorable of conditions
  • German: günstigenfalls — in the most favorable of conditions
  • German: im günstigsten Fall — in the most favorable of conditions
  • German: allenfalls — in the most favorable of conditions
  • German: höchstens — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Hungarian: a legjobb esetben — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Hungarian: legfeljebb — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Icelandic: þegar best lætur — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Italian: nel migliore dei casi — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Italian: al massimo — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Italian: quanto meno — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Japanese: 精々 (seizei) — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Polish: w najlepszym wypadku — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Polish: w najlepszym razie — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Russian: в лу́чшем слу́чае (v lúčšem slúčaje) — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Spanish: como muy bueno — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Spanish: a lo mejor — in the most favorable of conditions
  • Spanish: a lo sumo — in the most favorable of conditions