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

Tao also told me that the narrative of math as having practical importance was a half-truth, at best. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026

Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient. — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Academic explorations of how religious belief might influence attitudes to potential alien life are spotty at best, but that dearth of research could change. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 29 Oct. 2026

While Hov’s decision to seemingly name himself the halftime show’s next headliner may appear gratuitous to some, arguments that his catalog is underwhelming or undeserving of such a stage are questionable at best. — Preezy Brown, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 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