best

/best/ noun

Definition

the best › someone or something that is better than any other: He's the best of the new players.

at best › used to show that the most positive way of considering something is still not good: At best, only 50 per cent of babies born at 24 weeks will survive.

at his/its, etc best › at the highest level of achievement or quality: The article is an example of journalism at its best.

do/try your best › to make the greatest effort possible: I did my best to persuade him.

bring out the best in sb › to cause someone's best qualities to show

make the best of sth › to try to be positive about a situation you do not like but cannot change: Our hotel room is rather small, but we'll just have to make the best of it.

for the best › If something is for the best, it seems unpleasant now, but will improve a situation in the future: Divorce is always painful, but it really was for the best.

at the best of times › used to show that something is not good when it is the best it can be: He's not exactly patient at the best of times.

(Definition of best noun from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)