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.

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at best

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

Sitting down to discuss giving up the car, moving out of the family home, planning for medical care and how an estate is going to be handled is uncomfortable at best.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

This may have been England's best World Cup for 60 years, but at best it was par for the course and at worst a failure.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

Temperatures will be 23 or 24C at best but eastern Scotland will be cooler.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

However, while being able to think about two things at the same time is terribly convenient, the training it takes to get there is frustrating at best, and at other times rather disturbing.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

at best

Example Sentences

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