Etimology
From Middle English beste, best, from Old English betst, betest, from Proto-Germanic *batistaz.
adjective
best (positive good, adverb well, comparative better, superlative (humorous) bestest)
superlative form of good: most good.
Most; largest.
Most superior; most favorable.
Examples
I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy.
[…] when he is beſt, he is a little worſe then a man, and when he is worſt, he is little better than a beaſt:
Heav'ns laſt beſt gift, my ever new delight,
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
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.
Unpacking took the best part of a week.
In my opinion, mushrooms are the best pizza toppings.
Related words
antonyms
worst
baddest (nonstandard)
adverb
best
superlative form of well: most well
To the most advantage; with the most success, cause, profit, benefit, or propriety.
Examples
Out of my ſight, thou Serpent, that name beſt Befits thee with him leagu'd, thy ſelf as falſe And hateful;
But had we beſt retire, I ſee a ſtorm?
He prayeth best, who loveth best / All things both great and small.
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.
Had I not best go to her?
noun
best (countable and uncountable, plural bests)
(uncountable) The supreme effort one can make, or has made.
(uncountable) One's best behavior.
(countable) The person (or persons; or thing or things) that is (are) most excellent.
Examples
I did my best.
My personal best in that race is eighteen minutes, four seconds.
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.
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.
Even the best of us makes mistakes.
We're the best of friends.
Mel Gussow reviews the bests of off off Broadway
But in true Cincinnati style, the bests consistently outnumber the worsts.
There are the bests for each institution, the bests for coalitions, and, of course, the bests for the group as a whole.
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)
To surpass in skill or achievement.
(transitive) To beat in a contest.
Examples
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.
"You did not win because I was sloppy. You bested me, Uncle. I've never seen you fight like that before.”
Related words
antonyms
worst
Etimology
Shortening of had best
verb
best
(modal verb, colloquial) Had best.
Examples
It's getting late. You best get on home.
'We best be going,' she said, looking at the clock.
Brother, you best be gone when I return.