From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbestbest1 /best/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective [superlative of good] 1 BESTbetter than anything else or anyone else in quality, skill, how effective it is etc He won the best actor award. What’s the best way to cook this fish? The best thing to do is to stop worrying.it’s best to do something It’s best to go later in the season.easily the best/by far the best (=much better than anything else) John’s idea is by far the best option. Our pilots are given the best possible training. We use only the very best ingredients.2 → best friend3 → best dress/shoes/clothes etc4 → the next best thing5 → best of all6 → best before → be on your best behaviour at behaviour(2), → your best bet at bet2(2), → the best/better part of at part1(9)COLLOCATIONSadverbsthe very bestHe’s one of the very best players around.easily the bestThe series was easily the best TV drama this year.by far the bestOne girl stood out as by far the best singer.adjectivesthe best possibleWe sold the house at the best possible time.the best availableThe tuition we offer here is the best available.nouns the best way to do/of doing somethingThe best way to learn a language is to live in a country where it is spoken.the best thing to doThe best thing to do is to apologize immediately.the best way forward (=the best way to make progress or deal with a problem)We believe that a merger is the best way forward for the business.make the best use of somethingMaking the best use of space is important in any room.
Examples from the Corpus
best• I've read most of his books, but 'Mosquito Coast' is easily his best.• He had built a big new house in the valley, beside the best clay for making good hard bricks.• In 1972 he had suggested independence as Ulster's best course and been severely criticized by Paisley and others.• Risking everything, Saskia auditions for the position of best friend with a dazzling burst of literary fantasies.• The best ice cream in the world is made in Italy.• This is a 19-inch device and is the best in the group on picture quality alone.• Front forces, in particular, lost a very high percentage of their best men in 1968.• Terry is the best player on our team.• Probably the best thing to do is to drop me off outside.• It was by far the best vacation I've ever had.• What's the best way to cook sweet potatoes?• And the best way to cross the bridge is neither by bus nor car but by foot.• What's the best way to get to El Paso?best way• See diversion sign and ask B if he knows the best way around it.• Unfortunately, this debate conceals more than it reveals and obscures the best ways of improving future trade agreements.• The congenital apathetic inefficiency bred by the regime as the best way of keeping people down had also delayed the demolition process.• But the best way of making amends is to substitute for old habits new, and better, ones.• The best way to get scars to fade is to leave them alone.• The best way to handle them is not to put them in.• She believed the best way to keep a company profitable was to hire good people and give them a lot of rein.• Perhaps the best way to think of what lies ahead is to imagine that you are Columbus.bestbest2 ●●● S1 W2 adverb [superlative of well] 1 BESTin a way that is better than any other It works best if you let it warm up first. This can best be described as a series of steps. the best-dressed man in Paris2 BESTto the greatest degree SYN most You know him best – you should ask him. The part I like best is the meal afterwards. He’s perhaps best known for his role in ‘Midnight Cowboy’.3 → as best you can4 → had bestExamples from the Corpus
best• I've met him a few times but Helen knows him best.• The judges liked the pumpkin pie from Gayle's Bakery best.• What kind of wine do you like best?• Our new spring dresses have a look that can best be described as neat yet casual.• Try a few different skis and boots to see what works best for you.• It was the best-organized conference I've ever attended.• This is best reflected in the demise of the Yiddish-language press in New York.• Joe is, of course, best remembered as the first professional to overcome what had grown into a hoodoo.• The concept of liberalism in the United States is best understood as a very limited version of democratic socialism.• State which method would fit in best with healthy eating guidelines and explain why.best known• The best known example of the phenomenon is in cells of the retina, where its effect is to heighten contrast.• He is best known for a prayer that ended an invasion of storks.• Quaker Oats, best known for its cereals, was undaunted.• Generation X, best known for its pierced bodies and jaded outlook, is more optimistic about Wall Street than previous generations.• Malaria: discovery by committee Perhaps the best known of all recent antimalarial drugs is chloroquine.• For example, his best known prediction made in 1949 that crystal growth is mediated by dislocations has been confirmed on many occasions.• John Taylor became one of the best known prospective parliamentary candidates when some local tories objected to his selection.bestbest3 ●●● S2 W2 noun 1 → the best2 → do your best3 → at best4 → to the best of your knowledge/belief/ability etc5 → the best of something6 → with the best of intentions/for the best of reasons7 → the best of both worlds8 → at your best9 → make the best of something10 → all the best11 → at the best of times12 → the best of a bad lot/bunch13 → be for the best14 → your Sunday bestExamples from the Corpus
best• The acoustics in the auditorium weren't the best, but the audience didn't care.• The best is not always the most expensive.bestbest4 verb [transitive] BEAT/DEFEAT old-fashioned to defeat someone→ See Verb tableOrigin best1 Old English betst 