best
from
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
best
adv 1: in a most excellent way or manner; "he played best after
a couple of martinis"
2: it would be sensible; "you'd best stay at home"
3: from a position of superiority or authority; "father knows
best"; "I know better." [syn: {better}, {best}]
adj 1: (superlative of `good') having the most positive
qualities; "the best film of the year"; "the best
solution"; "the best time for planting"; "wore his best
suit" [ant: {worst}]
2: (comparative and superlative of `well') wiser or more
advantageous and hence advisable; "it would be better to
speak to him"; "the White House thought it best not to
respond" [syn: {better(p)}, {best(p)}]
n 1: the supreme effort one can make; "they did their best"
[ant: {worst}]
2: the person who is most outstanding or excellent; someone who
tops all others; "he could beat the best of them" [syn:
{best}, {topper}]
3: Canadian physiologist (born in the United States) who
assisted F. G. Banting in research leading to the discovery
of insulin (1899-1978) [syn: {Best}, {C. H. Best}, {Charles
Herbert Best}]
v 1: get the better of; "the goal was to best the competition"
[syn: {outdo}, {outflank}, {trump}, {best}, {scoop}]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Good \Good\, a. [Compar. {Better}; superl. {Best}. These words,
though used as the comparative and superlative of good, are
from a different root.] [AS. G[=o]d, akin to D. goed, OS.
g[=o]d, OHG. guot, G. gut, Icel. g[=o][eth]r, Sw. & Dan. god,
Goth. g[=o]ds; prob. orig., fitting, belonging together, and
akin to E. gather. [root]29 Cf. {Gather}.]
[1913 Webster]
1. Possessing desirable qualities; adapted to answer the end
designed; promoting success, welfare, or happiness;
serviceable; useful; fit; excellent; admirable;
commendable; not bad, corrupt, evil, noxious, offensive,
or troublesome, etc.
[1913 Webster]
And God saw everything that he had made, and behold,
it was very good. --Gen. i. 31.
[1913 Webster]
Good company, good wine, good welcome. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
2. Possessing moral excellence or virtue; virtuous; pious;
religious; -- said of persons or actions.
[1913 Webster]
In all things showing thyself a pattern of good
works. --Tit. ii. 7.
[1913 Webster]
3. Kind; benevolent; humane; merciful; gracious; polite;
propitious; friendly; well-disposed; -- often followed by
to or toward, also formerly by unto.
[1913 Webster]
The men were very good unto us. --1 Sam. xxv.
15.
[1913 Webster]
4. Serviceable; suited; adapted; suitable; of use; to be
relied upon; -- followed especially by for.
[1913 Webster]
All quality that is good for anything is founded
originally in merit. --Collier.
[1913 Webster]
5. Clever; skillful; dexterous; ready; handy; -- followed
especially by at.
[1913 Webster]
He . . . is a good workman; a very good tailor.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Those are generally good at flattering who are good
for nothing else. --South.
[1913 Webster]
6. Adequate; sufficient; competent; sound; not fallacious;
valid; in a commercial sense, to be depended on for the
discharge of obligations incurred; having pecuniary
ability; of unimpaired credit.
[1913 Webster]
My reasons are both good and weighty. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
My meaning in saying he is a good man is . . . that
he is sufficient . . . I think I may take his bond.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
7. Real; actual; serious; as in the phrases in good earnest;
in good sooth.
[1913 Webster]
Love no man in good earnest. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
8. Not small, insignificant, or of no account; considerable;
esp., in the phrases a good deal, a good way, a good
degree, a good share or part, etc.
[1913 Webster]
9. Not lacking or deficient; full; complete.
[1913 Webster]
Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over. --Luke vi. 38.
[1913 Webster]
10. Not blemished or impeached; fair; honorable; unsullied;
as in the phrases a good name, a good report, good
repute, etc.
[1913 Webster]
A good name is better than precious ointment.
--Eccl. vii.
1.
[1913 Webster]
{As good as}. See under {As}.
{For good}, or {For good and all}, completely and finally;
fully; truly.
[1913 Webster]
The good woman never died after this, till she came
to die for good and all. --L'Estrange.
{Good breeding}, polite or polished manners, formed by
education; a polite education.
[1913 Webster]
Distinguished by good humor and good breeding.
--Macaulay.
{Good cheap}, literally, good bargain; reasonably cheap.
{Good consideration} (Law).
(a) A consideration of blood or of natural love and
affection. --Blackstone.
(b) A valuable consideration, or one which will sustain a
contract.
{Good fellow}, a person of companionable qualities.
[Familiar]
{Good folk}, {or Good people}, fairies; brownies; pixies,
etc. [Colloq. Eng. & Scot.]
{Good for nothing}.
(a) Of no value; useless; worthless.
(b) Used substantively, an idle, worthless person.
[1913 Webster]
My father always said I was born to be a good
for nothing. --Ld. Lytton.
{Good Friday}, the Friday of Holy Week, kept in some churches
as a fast, in memoory of our Savior's passion or
suffering; the anniversary of the crucifixion.
{Good humor}, or {Good-humor}, a cheerful or pleasant temper
or state of mind.
{Good humor man}, a travelling vendor who sells Good Humor
ice-cream (or some similar ice-cream) from a small
refrigerated truck; he usually drives slowly through
residential neighborhoods in summertime, loudly playing
some distinctive recorded music to announce his presence.
[U. S.]
{Good nature}, or {Good-nature}, habitual kindness or
mildness of temper or disposition; amiability; state of
being in good humor.
[1913 Webster]
The good nature and generosity which belonged to his
character. --Macaulay.
[1913 Webster]
The young count's good nature and easy
persuadability were among his best characteristics.
--Hawthorne.
{Good people}. See {Good folk} (above).
{Good speed}, good luck; good success; godspeed; -- an old
form of wishing success. See {Speed}.
{Good turn}, an act of kidness; a favor.
{Good will}.
(a) Benevolence; well wishing; kindly feeling.
(b) (Law) The custom of any trade or business; the
tendency or inclination of persons, old customers and
others, to resort to an established place of
business; the advantage accruing from tendency or
inclination.
[1913 Webster]
The good will of a trade is nothing more than
the probability that the old customers will
resort to the old place. --Lord Eldon.
{In good time}.
(a) Promptly; punctually; opportunely; not too soon nor
too late.
(b) (Mus.) Correctly; in proper time.
{To hold good}, to remain true or valid; to be operative; to
remain in force or effect; as, his promise holds good; the
condition still holds good.
{To make good}, to fulfill; to establish; to maintain; to
supply (a defect or deficiency); to indemmify; to prove or
verify (an accusation); to prove to be blameless; to
clear; to vindicate.
[1913 Webster]
Each word made good and true. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Of no power to make his wishes good. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
I . . . would by combat make her good. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Convenient numbers to make good the city. --Shak.
{To think good}, to approve; to be pleased or satisfied with;
to consider expedient or proper.
[1913 Webster]
If ye think good, give me my price; and if not,
forbear. --Zech. xi.
12.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Good, in the sense of wishing well, is much used in
greeting and leave-taking; as, good day, good night,
good evening, good morning, etc.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Best \Best\, n.
Utmost; highest endeavor or state; most nearly perfect thing,
or being, or action; as, to do one's best; to the best of our
ability.
[1913 Webster]
{At best}, in the utmost degree or extent applicable to the
case; under the most favorable circumstances; as, life is
at best very short.
{For best}, finally. [Obs.] "Those constitutions . . . are
now established for best, and not to be mended." --Milton.
{To get the best of}, to gain an advantage over, whether
fairly or unfairly.
{To make the best of}.
(a) To improve to the utmost; to use or dispose of to the
greatest advantage. "Let there be freedom to carry their
commodities where they can make the best of them."
--Bacon.
(b) To reduce to the least possible inconvenience; as, to
make the best of ill fortune or a bad bargain.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Best \Best\ (b[e^]st), a.; superl. of Good. [AS. besta, best,
contr. from betest, betst, betsta; akin to Goth. batists,
OHG. pezzisto, G. best, beste, D. best, Icel. beztr, Dan.
best, Sw. b[aum]st. This word has no connection in origin
with good. See {Better}.]
1. Having good qualities in the highest degree; most good,
kind, desirable, suitable, etc.; most excellent; as, the
best man; the best road; the best cloth; the best
abilities.
[1913 Webster]
When he is best, he is a little worse than a man.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
Heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight.
--Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. Most advanced; most correct or complete; as, the best
scholar; the best view of a subject.
[1913 Webster]
3. Most; largest; as, the best part of a week.
[1913 Webster]
{Best man}, the only or principal groomsman at a wedding
ceremony.
[1913 Webster]
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Best \Best\, adv.; superl. of {Well}.
1. In the highest degree; beyond all others. "Thou serpent!
That name best befits thee." --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small. --Coleridge.
[1913 Webster]
2. To the most advantage; with the most success, case,
profit, benefit, or propriety.
[1913 Webster]
Had we best retire? I see a storm. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
Had I not best go to her? --Thackeray.
[1913 Webster]
3. Most intimately; most thoroughly or correctly; as, what is
expedient is best known to himself.
[1913 Webster]
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
168 Moby Thesaurus words for "best":
aristocracy, barons, bear the palm, beat, beat all hollow,
beat hollow, better, bottom, cap, champion, choice, chosen,
clobber, conquer, cream, crush, cut, defeat, destroy, do in, drub,
elect, elite, establishment, exceed, excel, excellent, exemplar,
fat, finery, finest, first, first-class, first-rate, fix, flower,
for the best, foremost, gem, giveaway, go one better, greater,
greatest, half-price, handpicked, hide, highest, hors de combat,
improve on, kindest, lambaste, largest, lather, lick,
lords of creation, lowest, marked down, master, matchless, maximal,
maximum, model, most, nobility, nonesuch, nonpareil, optimal,
optimum, outclass, outdo, outfight, outgeneral, outmaneuver,
outpoint, outrun, outsail, outshine, outstrip, outweigh, outwit,
overbalance, overbear, overcome, overlapping, overpass, overpower,
overtop, overwhelm, paragon, paramount, pattern, peerless, perfect,
pick, picked, power elite, power structure, predominate,
preponderate, prevail, prevail over, pride, prime, primrose, prize,
put, queen, quintessence, quintessential, reduced, richest,
rise above, rock-bottom, rout, ruin, ruling circles, ruling class,
sacrificial, select, settle, skin, skin alive, slashed, subdue,
superb, superior, superlative, supreme, surmount, surpass,
surpassing, take the cake, the best, the best ever,
the best people, the brass, the tops, the very best, thrash,
tip-top, top, top people, top-notch, topmost, tower above,
tower over, transcend, trim, triumph, triumph over, trounce, trump,
undo, unexcelled, unmatchable, unmatched, unparalleled,
unsurpassed, upper class, upper crust, uppermost, utmost, vanquish,
very best, wealthiest, whip, win, worst
[email protected]