INDEX:
1. better than all others
2. the best people or things in a group
3. the best part of something
4. when you do something better than you have ever done before
RELATED WORDS
words meaning worst : ↑ WORSE
see also
↑ GOOD
↑ BETTER
↑ PERFECT
↑ SUITABLE
↑ WIN
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1. better than all others
▷ best /best/ [adjective]
better than anything or anyone else :
▪ The best ice cream in the world is made in Italy.
▪ What’s the best way to cook sweet potatoes?
by far the best/easily the best
much better than any others
▪ It was by far the best vacation I’ve ever had.
somebody’s best
▪ I’ve read most of his books, but ‘Mosquito Coast’ is easily his best.
best [adverb]
▪ What kind of wine do you like best?
▪ It was the best-organized conference I’ve ever attended.
▷ greatest /ˈgreɪtɪst, ˈgreɪtəst/ [adjective]
the best and most important that there has ever been :
▪ New Yorkers think they live in the greatest city on earth.
▪ Picasso is generally regarded as the greatest artist of the 20th century.
▪ Gorbachev’s greatest achievement was ending the Cold War.
▷ finest /ˈfaɪnɪst, ˈfaɪnəst/ [adjective]
the best and highest quality, or the best and most skilful :
▪ Hemingway was the finest American writer of his generation.
▪ The Silver Pavilion is one of the finest examples of Japanese architecture.
▪ Many people regard Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as his finest work.
▪ The gallery’s collection of early Impressionist paintings is one of the world’s finest.
▷ ideal /ˌaɪˈdɪəl◂/ [adjective]
the best and most suitable :
▪ The ideal candidate will have a degree and at least two years’ experience.
▪ I’m afraid the accommodation here is far from ideal.
ideal for
▪ The conditions are ideal for a day’s skiing.
ideal for doing something
▪ The town makes an ideal base for exploring the surrounding countryside.
▷ top /tɒpǁtɑːp/ [adjective only before noun]
the most skilful, most successful, and most famous :
▪ He is definitely one of the world’s top golfers.
▪ The prize is to have your hair done at a top New York salon.
▷ number one /ˌnʌmbəʳ ˈwʌn/ [adjective only before noun]
the person who is most successful in their company or in the type of work that they do :
▪ For three years, he was the company’s number one salesman.
▪ Sweden’s number one model has married American actor Tommy Haines.
▷ the /ðiː/ [determiner]
the place/shop/person/authority etc
use this to say that something is the best one of its kind. Pronounce it as ‘thee’ instead of ‘thuh’ :
▪ Manhattan’s East Village is the place for exciting nightlife.
▪ Our guest speaker today is the authority on Chinese politics.
▷ ultimate /ˈʌltɪmət, ˈʌltəmət/ [adjective usually before noun]
the ultimate person or thing is the very best of their type that there has ever been, and it is hard to believe that anything could ever be better :
▪ Monroe was the ultimate Hollywood movie star.
▪ For many people, the Rolling Stones will always be the world’s ultimate rock and roll band.
the ultimate in
▪ Our first-class passengers enjoy the ultimate in luxury and service.
▷ optimum /ˈɒptɪməm, ˈɒptəməmǁˈɑːp-/ [adjective only before noun]
the best that can be achieved or the best for a particular purpose - used especially in scientific contexts :
▪ The optimum temperature for producing steel is around 1200C.
▷ definitive /dɪˈfɪnɪtɪv, dɪˈfɪnətɪv/ [adjective]
the definitive description, study etc is considered to be the best and cannot be improved - use this about a book or piece of work that is the best of its kind :
▪ Griffin is the author of the definitive travel guide ‘France at Your Fingertips’.
▪ This may be the definitive book on the Scarlatti trial.
▪ Many people regard it as the definitive interpretation of ‘War and Peace’.
▷ unsurpassed /ˌʌnsəʳˈpɑːst◂ǁ-ˈpæst◂/ [adjective] formal
if something is unsurpassed, nothing else has ever been better - use this about qualities or achievements :
▪ His genius as a dramatist is unsurpassed.
▪ Venice is a city of unsurpassed beauty.
▷ record-breaking /ˈrekɔːd ˌbreɪkɪŋǁˈrekərd-/ [adjective only before noun]
a record-breaking result, temperature, time etc is the highest, largest, fastest etc that has ever been achieved :
▪ A record-breaking five hundred thousand people attended the festival.
▪ Record-breaking temperatures are being forecast for the weekend.
2. the best people or things in a group
▷ the best /ðə ˈbest/ [singular noun]
▪ She was the best in her class at college.
▪ I chose a Japanese camera because I wanted to have the best.
the best in his/her field
the person who knows most about a particular subject
▪ When it comes to cancer research, Professor Williams is probably the best in her field.
▷ star /stɑːʳ/ [countable noun]
the best player in a team, the best student in a class etc :
▪ Sonya’s the class star.
star of
▪ They’re all strong players, but Laura’s undoubtedly the star of the team.
star player/performer/student/pupil etc
▪ Woodward continues to be the Post’s star reporter.
▷ the cream of /ðə ˈkriːm ɒv/ [noun phrase]
the small number of people who are the very best in a particular group, because they are the most intelligent or the most highly skilled :
▪ The cream of India’s scientists are being attracted abroad by highly paid jobs.
the cream of the crop
the best people or things in a particular group
▪ Universities such as Harvard accept only the cream of the crop.
▷ elite /eɪˈliːt, ɪ-/ [adjective only before noun]
elite troops/group/college etc
a group of people who are the best, and most highly trained or educated :
▪ The palace is guarded by elite troops loyal to the president.
▪ In 1978 he joined the CRS, France’s elite corps of riot police.
the elite [singular noun]
▪ The Parachute Regiment are the elite of the British armed forces.
▷ the best of the bunch also the pick of the bunch /ðə ˌbest əv ðə ˈbʌntʃ, ðə ˌpɪk əv ðə ˈbʌntʃ/ [noun phrase] British informal
the one that you think is the best among a group of people or things, especially a small group :
▪ This last poem’s my favorite -- definitely the pick of the bunch.
▪ They’ve come out with several good wines this year, but in my opinion the chardonnay is the best of the bunch.
3. the best part of something
▷ the best part also the best bit British informal /ðə ˈbest ˌpɑːʳt, ðə ˈbest ˌbɪt/ [noun phrase]
the best part of something such as an occasion, event etc :
▪ The best part of the movie is the ending.
▪ What was the best part of your vacation?
▷ highlight /ˈhaɪlaɪt/ [countable noun]
the best and most exciting part of something such as a journey, a film, or a period of time :
▪ When I was young, Christmas was the highlight of the year.
▪ We were looking forward to seeing the pyramids, which promised to be the highlight of our trip.
▷ the high point /ðə ˈhaɪ pɔɪnt/ [noun phrase]
the best part of something, or the best moment of something :
▪ The two days we spent in Granada were the high point of our trip.
▪ Winning the 1994 World Championship was probably the high point of his career.
▷ pièce de résistance /piˌes də reziːˈstɑːns/ [noun phrase]
the best and most impressive part of something that someone has made, especially a meal :
▪ And now for my pièce de résistance -- wild mushrooms cooked in red wine.
4. when you do something better than you have ever done before
▷ at your best /ət jɔːʳ ˈbest/ [adverb]
when you are at your best you are performing at your highest level of skill :
▪ At his best, he’s one of the most exciting tennis players in the world.
▪ This recording captures Grappelli at his very best.
▷ be on top form /biː ɒn ˌtɒp ˈfɔːʳmǁ-ˌtɑːp-/ British /be in top form /biː ɪn ˌtɒp ˈfɔːʳm‖-ˌtɑːp/ American [verb phrase]
if someone who is good at doing something is on top form, they are doing it as well as they can :
▪ ‘Sue gave a really good speech last night.’ ‘Yes, she was on top form.’
▪ If the Yankees are in top form there is no one that can beat them.
▷ be at your peak /biː ət jɔːʳ ˈpiːk/ [verb phrase]
if someone, especially a sports person, is at their peak, they are at the time in their life when they are playing best, running best etc :
▪ Long-distance runners are usually at their peak in their mid-30s.
▪ When he was at his peak, Nicklaus was one of the best golfers there has ever been.
▷ be at the height of your powers /biː ət ðə ˌhaɪt əv jɔːʳ ˈpaʊəʳz/ [verb phrase]
if someone such as a great writer or musician is at the height of their powers, they are doing the best work of their whole life :
▪ When Orwell wrote ‘Animal Farm’, he was at the height of his powers.
▪ The film shows Jimi Hendrix, at the height of his powers, giving a brilliant version of ‘All Along the Watchtower’.