with the best will in the world
idiom
British
: with the most sincere desire and effort to do something good or worthwhile
—used especially to say that it is not possible to do something even if one wants to do it very much
Even with the best will in the world, the work cannot be done that quickly.
Examples of with the best will in the world in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And with the best will in the world, if seeing it in a standard theatre doesn’t do Dune justice, how much more so for the people who are watching it at home.
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Benny Har-Even, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2021
Benny Har-Even, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'with the best will in the world.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near with the best will in the world
with the best will in the world
Cite this Entry
“With the best will in the world.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/with%20the%20best%20will%20in%20the%20world. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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