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

The school has invested heavily in the team, but results have been average at best to this point. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

The Cornell administration that gave leniency to these boys are at best sympathizers who valued those boys’ lives over Jane Doe’s. — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026

Clinton’s public favorability is middling at best, rating well below Sanders, the closest thing to a genuinely popular Democrat. — Joe Hagan, Vanity Fair, 30 Sep. 2026

Backup quarterback Cole Ballard, who was injured in the Missouri game, is likely to be listed as doubtful at best this week. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 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