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.

The result is a metaphysical model that, at best, lacks clarity, and at worst obscures the very nature of reality.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

That symbiotic relationship seems strained now, at best.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

The disturbing thing is that it’s a question whose answer, to any well-read observer, is uncertain at best.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

And yet the scientific consensus for precisely how it works remains shaky at best.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

In truth, the tests were subjective at best, one exploding bottle difficult to compare to another.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

at best

Example Sentences

Related Words