best

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++best1 /best/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective [superlative of good]  1  BESTbetter than anything else or anyone else in quality, skill, how effective it is etc 最好的 He won the best actor award. 他获得最佳男演员奖。 What’s the best way to cook this fish? 这鱼怎么烧最好？ The best thing to do is to stop worrying. 最好的办法就是不要再担心。it’s best to do something It’s best to go later in the season. 最好是当季晚些时候去。easily the best/by far the best (=much better than anything else) 绝对是最好的 John’s idea is by far the best option. 约翰的主意绝对是最好的选择。 Our pilots are given the best possible training. 我们的飞行员接受最好的训练。 We use only the very best ingredients. 我们只用最好的原料。2  best friend BESTthe friend that you know and like better than anyone else 最好的朋友 She was my best friend in college. 她是我大学里最要好的朋友。3  best dress/shoes/clothes etc BESTclothing that you keep for special occasions 最好的礼服/鞋子/衣服等〔指留待特殊场合穿戴的衣物等〕 I put on my best suit for the wedding. 我穿上最好的一套衣服参加婚礼。4  the next best thing LIKE/SIMILARsomething that is not exactly what you want but is as similar to it as possible 仅次于最好的东西，第二好的东西 If sterile equipment isn’t available, the next best thing is to clean equipment with disinfectant. 如果没有消毒设备，用消毒剂把设备清洁一下也是可以的。5  best of all BESTused to introduce the fact about a situation that is even better than the other good things 更好的是 It’s clean and well-located, but best of all, it’s affordable. 那里很干净，地段也不错，而更好的是，价格也承受得起。6  best before British English written on food packets with the date that the food should be eaten before 〔某一日期〕前食用最佳〔食品包装上注明的最迟食用日期〕 Best before 13 July. 7月13日前食用最佳。 a best-before date 最迟食用日期 → be on your best behaviour at behaviour(2), → your best bet at bet2(2), → the best/better part of at part1(9)n COLLOCATIONSadverbsthe very bestHe’s one of the very best players around.easily the bestThe series was easily the best TV drama this year.by far the bestOne girl stood out as by far the best singer.adjectivesthe best possibleWe sold the house at the best possible time.the best availableThe tuition we offer here is the best available.nouns the best way to do/of doing somethingThe best way to learn a language is to live in a country where it is spoken.the best thing to doThe best thing to do is to apologize immediately.the best way forward (=the best way to make progress or deal with a problem)We believe that a merger is the best way forward for the business.make the best use of somethingMaking the best use of space is important in any room.

Examples from the Corpus

best• I've read most of his books, but 'Mosquito Coast' is easily his best.• He had built a big new house in the valley, beside the best clay for making good hard bricks.• In 1972 he had suggested independence as Ulster's best course and been severely criticized by Paisley and others.• Risking everything, Saskia auditions for the position of best friend with a dazzling burst of literary fantasies.• The best ice cream in the world is made in Italy.• This is a 19-inch device and is the best in the group on picture quality alone.• Front forces, in particular, lost a very high percentage of their best men in 1968.• Terry is the best player on our team.• Probably the best thing to do is to drop me off outside.• It was by far the best vacation I've ever had.• What's the best way to cook sweet potatoes?• And the best way to cross the bridge is neither by bus nor car but by foot.• What's the best way to get to El Paso?best way• See diversion sign and ask B if he knows the best way around it.• Unfortunately, this debate conceals more than it reveals and obscures the best ways of improving future trade agreements.• The congenital apathetic inefficiency bred by the regime as the best way of keeping people down had also delayed the demolition process.• But the best way of making amends is to substitute for old habits new, and better, ones.• The best way to get scars to fade is to leave them alone.• The best way to handle them is not to put them in.• She believed the best way to keep a company profitable was to hire good people and give them a lot of rein.• Perhaps the best way to think of what lies ahead is to imagine that you are Columbus.best2 ●●● S1 W2 adverb [superlative of well]  1  BESTin a way that is better than any other 最好地 It works best if you let it warm up first. 如果先把它预热一下，使用效果最佳。 This can best be described as a series of steps. 最恰当的说法就是，这是一步步的过程。 the best-dressed man in Paris 巴黎穿着最讲究的男人2  BESTto the greatest degree 最，极 SYN most You know him best – you should ask him. 你最熟悉他，应该你去问他。 The part I like best is the meal afterwards. 我最喜欢的是后来吃的一餐。 He’s perhaps best known for his role in ‘Midnight Cowboy’. 他最出名的可能是在《午夜牛郎》中的角色。3  as best you can spokenGOOD ENOUGH as well as you can, even if this is not very good 尽最大努力，竭力 I’ll try and fix it as best I can. 我会尽力把它修好。4  had best spokenSHOULD/OUGHT TO ought to 应该，最好 We’d best be getting back. 我们最好回去。 → had better at better2(3)

Examples from the Corpus

best• I've met him a few times but Helen knows him best.• The judges liked the pumpkin pie from Gayle's Bakery best.• What kind of wine do you like best?• Our new spring dresses have a look that can best be described as neat yet casual.• Try a few different skis and boots to see what works best for you.• It was the best-organized conference I've ever attended.• This is best reflected in the demise of the Yiddish-language press in New York.• Joe is, of course, best remembered as the first professional to overcome what had grown into a hoodoo.• The concept of liberalism in the United States is best understood as a very limited version of democratic socialism.• State which method would fit in best with healthy eating guidelines and explain why.best known• The best known example of the phenomenon is in cells of the retina, where its effect is to heighten contrast.• He is best known for a prayer that ended an invasion of storks.• Quaker Oats, best known for its cereals, was undaunted.• Generation X, best known for its pierced bodies and jaded outlook, is more optimistic about Wall Street than previous generations.• Malaria: discovery by committee Perhaps the best known of all recent antimalarial drugs is chloroquine.• For example, his best known prediction made in 1949 that crystal growth is mediated by dislocations has been confirmed on many occasions.• John Taylor became one of the best known prospective parliamentary candidates when some local tories objected to his selection.best3 ●●● S2 W2 noun  1  the best a) BESTthe most helpful, most successful etc situation or results that you can achieve 最佳；至上；至善 We all want the best for our children. 我们都希望给孩子最好的东西。 It’s the best we can do in the circumstances. 在这种情况下，我们最多只能做到这样了。 b) BESTthe person or thing that is better than any other 最好之人；最佳之物 She’s the best of the new young writers. 她是新一代年轻作家中最优秀的。2  do your best TRY TO DO OR GET somethingto try as hard as you can to do something 尽力而为；尽最大努力 As long as you do your best, we’ll be happy. 只要你尽力而为，我们就满意了。do your best to do something She did her best to make him comfortable. 她尽力让他感到舒服。3  at best JUST/ALMOST NOTused to emphasize that something is not very good, pleasant, honest etc even if you consider it in the best possible way 充其量；至多 The campaign was at best only partially successful. 这场宣传活动充其量只是部分成功。 The technique is at best ineffective and at worst dangerous. 这个方法说轻一点是无效，说重一点是危险。4  to the best of your knowledge/belief/ability etc THINK SO/NOT BE SURECANused to say that something is as much as you know, believe, or are able to do 就某人所知/在某人看来/尽某人所能等 I’m sure he’ll do the work to the best of his ability. 我相信他会尽己所能做好这项工作。5  the best of something used to refer to something very good 最好的某事物 We wish him the best of luck with this venture. 我们祝愿他在这个风险项目上顺顺利利。 He hasn’t been in the best of health lately. 他近来身体状况不怎么好。 They didn’t part on the best of terms. 他们不欢而散。 They became the best of friends (=very close friends). 他们成了最好的朋友。6  with the best of intentions/for the best of reasons used to mean that someone does something with good intentions or for good reasons, even if the result is not always good 出于好心，出于好意 I’m sure he went there with the best of intentions. 我相信他去那里是出于好心。7  the best of both worlds ADVANTAGEa situation in which you have the advantages of two different things without any of the disadvantages 两全其美；各取其长 They live in a village but it’s only an hour from London, so they have the best of both worlds. 他们住在一个村子里，但离伦敦只有一小时路程，所以农村和城市的好处他们都能享受得到。8  at your best BESTperforming as well or effectively as you are able to 在最佳状态时 At her best, she’s a really stylish player. 她状态好的时候，确实是个很棒的选手。 He was never at his best early in the morning. 大清早他总不在最佳状态。9  make the best of something  (also make the best of a bad job/situation etc British English)ACCEPT to accept a situation that is not very good, and do whatever you can to make it better 尽可能利用〔不能令人满意的事物或处境〕；善处逆境 We are stuck here, so we might as well make the best of it. 反正我们被困在这儿了，不如随遇而安吧。10  all the best LUCKYused to express good wishes to someone for the future 一切顺利，万事如意〔用于表示祝愿〕 We’d just like to wish him all the best in his new job. 但愿他在新的工作中一切顺利。all the best for All the best for the New Year! 新年万事如意！11  at the best of times NEVERif something is not very good, pleasant etc at the best of times, it is usually even worse than this （即使）在最好的情况下 It’s crowded at the best of times, but today it was unbearable. 平时人最少的时候也拥挤，但今天简直让人受不了。12. the best of a bad lot/bunch British EnglishBAD the least bad person or thing in a group of not very good people or things 不好之中最好的，差中之优13  be for the best GOOD ENOUGH especially spoken used to say that a particular event may seem bad now, but might have a good result later 也许不是件坏事 I still don’t want him to go, but maybe it’s for the best. 我还是不希望他去，但这也许是件好事。14. your Sunday best DCCBEST old-fashioned your best clothes, that you only wear on special occasions 节日的盛装

Examples from the Corpus

best• The acoustics in the auditorium weren't the best, but the audience didn't care.• The best is not always the most expensive.best4 verb [transitive]  BEAT/DEFEAT old-fashioned to defeat someone 击败，胜过→ See Verb tableOrigin best1 Old English betst

best1 adjective →n COLLOCATIONS1best2 adverbbest3 nounbest4 verbLDOCE OnlineChinese  

better anything else else in quality, or anyone Corpus than skill,

best

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++best1  → superlative of good at good2  → superlative of well at well

best  

Best
Best, George
(1946–2005) a football player from Northern Ireland who played for Manchester United from 1963 to 1973 and was considered to be one of the greatest players ever. He was often in the newspapers, photographed with attractive young women, but he also drank too much alcohol, and he stopped playing football when he was still young..

best

I

best¹ S1 W1 /best/ adjective [superlative of good]1. better than anything else or anyone else in quality, skill, how effective it is etc:
    He won the best actor award.
    What’s the best way to cook this fish?
    The best thing to do is to stop worrying.
    it’s best to do something
    It’s best to go later in the season.
    easily the best/by far the best (=much better than anything else)
    John’s idea is by far the best option.
    Our pilots are given the best possible training.
    We use only the very best ingredients.
2. best friend the friend that you know and like better than anyone else:
    She was my best friend in college.
3. best dress/shoes/clothes etc clothing that you keep for special occasions:
    I put on my best suit for the wedding.
4. the next best thing something that is not exactly what you want but is as similar to it as possible:
    If sterile equipment isn’t available, the next best thing is to clean equipment with disinfectant.
5. best of all used to introduce the fact about a situation that is even better than the other good things:
    It’s clean and well-located, but best of all, it’s affordable.
6. best before British English written on food packets with the date that the food should be eaten before:
    Best before 13 July.
    a best-before date
⇨ be on your best behaviour at behaviour(2), ⇨ your best bet at bet²(2), ⇨ the best/better part of at part¹(6)
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ adverbs
   ▪ the very best He’s one of the very best players around.
   ▪ easily the best The series was easily the best TV drama this year.
   ▪ by far the best One girl stood out as by far the best singer.
■ adjectives
   ▪ the best possible We sold the house at the best possible time.
   ▪ the best available The tuition we offer here is the best available.
■ nouns
   ▪ the best way to do/of doing something The best way to learn a language is to live in a country where it is spoken.
   ▪ the best thing to do The best thing to do is to apologize immediately.
   ▪ the best way forward (=the best way to make progress or deal with a problem) We believe that a merger is the best way forward for the business.
   ▪ make the best use of something Making the best use of space is important in any room.

II

best² S1 W2 adverb [superlative of well]
1. in a way that is better than any other:
    It works best if you let it warm up first.
    This can best be described as a series of steps.
    the best-dressed man in Paris
2. to the greatest degree
   SYN  most:
    You know him best – you should ask him.
    The part I like best is the meal afterwards.
    He’s perhaps best known for his role in ‘Midnight Cowboy’.
3. as best you can spoken as well as you can, even if this is not very good:
    I’ll try and fix it as best I can.
4. had best spoken ought to:
    We’d best be getting back. ⇨ had better at better²(3)

III

best³ noun
1. the best
  a. the most helpful, most successful etc situation or results that you can achieve:
    We all want the best for our children.
    It’s the best we can do in the circumstances.
  b. the person or thing that is better than any other:
    She’s the best of the new young writers.
2. do your best to try as hard as you can to do something:
    As long as you do your best, we’ll be happy.
    do your best to do something
    She did her best to make him comfortable.
3. at best used to emphasize that something is not very good, pleasant, honest etc even if you consider it in the best possible way:
    The campaign was at best only partially successful.
    The technique is at best ineffective and at worst dangerous.
4. to the best of your knowledge/belief/ability etc used to say that something is as much as you know, believe, or are able to do:
    I’m sure he’ll do the work to the best of his ability.
5. the best of something used to refer to something very good:
    We wish him the best of luck with this venture.
    He hasn’t been in the best of health lately.
    They didn’t part on the best of terms.
    They became the best of friends (=very close friends).
6. with the best of intentions/for the best of reasons used to mean that someone does something with good intentions or for good reasons, even if the result is not always good:
    I’m sure he went there with the best of intentions.
7. the best of both worlds a situation in which you have the advantages of two different things without any of the disadvantages:
    They live in a village but it’s only an hour from London, so they have the best of both worlds.
8. at your best performing as well or effectively as you are able to:
    At her best, she’s a really stylish player.
    He was never at his best early in the morning.
9. make the best of something (also make the best of a bad job/situation etc British English) to accept a situation that is not very good, and do whatever you can to make it better:
    We are stuck here, so we might as well make the best of it.
10. all the best used to express good wishes to someone for the future:
    We’d just like to wish him all the best in his new job.
    all the best for
    All the best for the New Year__
11. at the best of times if something is not very good, pleasant etc at the best of times, it is usually even worse than this:
    It’s crowded at the best of times, but today it was unbearable.
12. the best of a bad lot/bunch British English the least bad person or thing in a group of not very good people or things
13. be for the best especially spoken used to say that a particular event may seem bad now, but might have a good result later:
    I still don’t want him to go, but maybe it’s for the best.
14. your Sunday best old-fashioned your best clothes, that you only wear on special occasions

IV

best⁴ verb [transitive]
old-fashioned to defeat someone