at best

phrase

: under the most favorable circumstances

won't be finished for another three months at best

At best, you will earn back what you paid in.

He's an average writer at best.

… was among the worst schools in a city whose public education could be described as struggling, at best.

—Ann Carrns

Examples of at best in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Historically, Western norms during the 19th and 20th centuries held that to not eat meat is odd at best, and suspicious at worst. — David Rooney, The Conversation, 10 July 2026

In fact, rovers on the surface of Mars have observed both moons pass in front of the sun, and at best, Phobos (which is larger than Deimos and closer to the planet) covers only a fraction of the solar disk. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 10 July 2026

Yet Potter was, at best, in a fight with Jay Huff for the Pacers backup center role heading into the coming season. — Tony East, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Five-time World Cup winners Brazil have the attackers for it, but their midfield and defence were at best meandering, at worst anaemic. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 7 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for at best

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed