Phrase guide

level best

noun · 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌlɛvl̩ ˈbɛst/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌlɛv(ə)l ˈbɛst/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛst

1

noun

Meaning 1

The very best that one can do.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the greatest possible degree

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he tried his utmost

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: utmost, uttermost, maximum

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: limit, bound, boundary

History

Etymology

From level (“well balanced; even, steady”) + best.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: parhaansa — very best that one can do
  • Macedonian: на́јдобар (nájdobar) — very best that one can do
  • Welsh: gorau glas — very best that one can do