Definitions

at best

ADVERB

partly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

at least partially slightly somewhat

WEAK

at most at worst bit by bit by degrees carelessly halfway in a general way in bits and pieces in part in some measure in some ways inadequately incompletely insufficiently little by little measurably not entirely not fully not strictly speaking not wholly notably noticeably piece by piece piecemeal relatively so far as possible to a certain degree to a certain extent up to a certain point within limits

Antonyms

WEAK

completely totally wholly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

at best

Users—brand-affiliated or otherwise—who break subreddits’ promotional rules often find their comments deleted at best and their accounts banned at worst.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Almost all of Pereira was left without electricity, and the cell network is patchy at best.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

But without a built-in funding mechanism, that realistically means that funding, if any, is year-by-year and unpredictable at best.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Rheon said make-up artists used heavy moisturiser to portray characters sweating - with the actual weather conditions "changeable" at best - as they filmed the BBC portrayal of Liz Jensen's bestselling novel.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

Dries has gotten married, and although the marriage is rocky at best, a disaster at worst, he is living the life of a married man.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

at best

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Related Words