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

Cash incentives—the go-to tool of governments from Budapest to Seoul—have produced at best a temporary blip.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

That symbiotic relationship seems strained now, at best.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

"There is no clear strategy uniting these efforts, and engagement across departments and with local authorities is patchy at best."

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

The success of these hortatory campaigns has been mixed, at best, especially when it comes to the government’s highly unpopular efforts to lure city-bred people into back-breaking farm labor.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

at best

Example Sentences

Related Words