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 price of oil remains elevated, despite peace talk reports, which suggests that issues around the control of the Strait of Hormuz remain murky at best.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

“What will matter most of all to markets is news on the Iran conflict; macro data will at best play second fiddle,” said Investec economist Sandra Horsfield in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

The idea of artificial intelligence, let alone a personal computer, was a fantasy at best.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

The message of history was unmistakable: The stock market over the next decade would struggle at best and be in the red for many years.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

Lyra was used to washing with hard yellow soap in a chipped basin, where the water that struggled out of the taps was warm at best, and often flecked with rust.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

at best

Example Sentences

Related Words