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one of the best

one of the best

276 1.5
Among the top people or things in a group
  • idiom
translation icon : uno de los mejores
  • LeBron James, he's one of the best athletes of all time.
  • one of the best ways
  • one of the best examples
  • one of the best ever

It was one of the best nights ever.

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Examples

  • And for these reasons, it is one of the best short stories we have ever read.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Zippo, you know, you are one of the best listeners in the world.

  • Beyond the content, I think it's one of the best written books ever.

  • Because back then she was also be one of the best looking women ever.

  • As small as she was, she'd been one of the best players on the girls' team.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The small subscription price is one of the best investments you can make in your writing career.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Maggie Hart is one of the best defense lawyers in the country.

  • It was one of the best nights ever.

  • The oceanography program is nationally recognized as one of the best programs in the United States.

    Academic text (1990)
  • LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players in history.

Synonyms

elite
vsone of the best
241 4.5

Among the best or most skilled in a group

focuses on being among the highest by quality or skill rather than status
top-quality
vsone of the best
9 3.8

Very high quality and lasts a long time

emphasizes being one among the highest in a group context
top-flight
vsone of the best
9 6.2

Of very high quality and among the best in its field

applies more broadly to any person or thing among the highest
cream of the crop
vsone of the best
  • Informal
7 3.4

The very best people or things in a group

is among the highest, not only the single very top
top of the line
vsone of the best
4 3.9

A product that has very high quality and is often the most expensive option

is used for any person or thing counted among the highest quality
top-grade
vsone of the best
3 3.7

Of the highest quality, better than others like it

is about being among the highest in quality rather than a grade label
top-notcher
vsone of the best
  • Philippine
1 8.2

A person who is among the best in a field

covers both people and things that are among the highest in quality
tops
vsone of the best
  • Informal
7.8

Very good and the best in quality

is the neutral description for being among the highest in a group

Antonyms

109 4.8

Only average in quality and not very good

How Good

best
1.0
one of the best
276 1.5
excellent
1.0
great
1.0
good
1.0
fair
274 1.0
poor
838 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

one + of + the + best

The meaning is directly compositional: 'one' (a single member) + 'of the' (partitive construction) + 'best' (superlative group) yields 'a single member of the top group', so a learner who knows the words and basic grammar can derive the meaning. This partitive/superlative pattern is common across languages and follows standard English grammar, making it immediately transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

One of the best paints a picture of being one item inside a small group of top things. Imagine a race where only a few people get medals — if you are one of the medal winners, you are among the best, so the phrase means 'among the people or things with the highest quality or skill'.