Phrases.com »

Phrases related to: at the best of times

Yee yee! We've found 222 phrases and idioms matching at the best of times.

Sort:RelevancyA - Z
a bad penny always turns upA person or thing which is unpleasant, dishonorable, or unwanted tends to appear (or reappear), especially at inopportune times.Rate it:

(4.20 / 5 votes)
a million timesby a factor of a millionRate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
a pyrrhic victoryAn apparent victory, but one which is no victory at all, due to the great cost incurred. The phrase comes from the victory won by King Pyrrhus at Asculum in 279BC which cost him many of his best men. After the battle Pyrrhus remarked: "One more such victory and we are finished."Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
amicissimus meus or mihimy best friend.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
any port in a stormAn unfavourable option which might well be avoided in good times but which nevertheless looks better than the alternatives at the current time.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
as best one canIn the best possible way, given the circumstances.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
as far as one knowsTo the best of one's knowledge.Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
as good as it getsThe best available under the circumstances.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
at bestIn the most favorable of conditions; at the most.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
at the best of timesAt most.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
at timesOn occasion, sometimes.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
attack is the best form of defenceIn a battle, attacking the opposition first is better than waiting for them to attack.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
auld lang syneDays gone by; former times.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
autant que je puisse m'en souvenirTo the best of my recollection.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
autres temps, autres mœursManners change with the times.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
bad pennyA person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
be an open bookOne's life and times can be an open book by simply sharing, answering queries, being forthright, carrying no baggage or disagreements.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
be the way to goRepresent the best of all possible options or courses of action; pre-eminate over all other choices or alternatives.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
be-all, end-allSomething ultimate, definitive; the best part of something; the thing which solves all problems associated with something; the most completeRate it:

(3.00 / 2 votes)
beat someone at their own gameto win against someone who is good, better or best at something (not necessarily a literal game) or in their fieldRate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
beer and skittlesFun times.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
behind the timesOut of date; old-fashioned; obsolete; outmoded; outdated.Rate it:

(4.50 / 2 votes)
best betThe best proposal or plan.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
best laid plansA proverbial expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.Rate it:

(2.00 / 1 vote)
best of both worldsA combination of two seemingly contradictory benefits.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
best of luckUsed to express hopes that someone does well in a new endeavor.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
best of the bunchThe best or most preferred person or item within a group.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
best regardsUsed as a polite closing of a letter.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
best thing since sliced breadAlternative form of greatest thing since sliced bread.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
best thing since sliced panAlternative form of greatest thing since sliced bread.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
best-kept secretA significant fact or characteristic that is not well-known.Rate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
best-kept secretSomething interesting or important but not well-known.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
bestes Wissen und Gewissenthe best of one's knowledge; good faith; roughly combining the senses of both English idioms, namely that one does or says something in the honest conviction of its correctness but under the condition of the fallibility of one’s knowledge and competencesRate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
better to light a single candle than to curse the darknessIn the face of bad times or hopelessness, it is more worthwhile to do some good, however small, in response than to complain about the situation.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
bring (one's) a-gamerefers to bringing maximum effort, focus and undeniable commitment; an encouragement to do your best with no excuses; giving it your allRate it:

(5.00 / 1 vote)
c'est avec la bonne foi qu'on va le plus loinHonesty is the best policy.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
cakewalkA contest in which cake was offered for the best dancers.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
chacun connaît midi à sa porteEach one knows his own business best.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
chacun sait ses affairesEvery one knows his own business best.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
cherry pickTo select only the best from a range of options.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
cherry pickingSelecting only the best from a group or other range of choices.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
cherry-pickTo pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.Rate it:

(1.00 / 1 vote)
crab mentalityA way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you." The metaphor refers to a pot of crabs in which one tries to escape over the side, but is relentlessly pulled down by the others in the pot.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
Cream of the CropThe best part or person or excellent choiceRate it:

(4.50 / 2 votes)
cream of the cropThe best or most desirable among some selection.Rate it:

(3.00 / 1 vote)
crème de la crèmeBest of the best; something that's superlative. The very best.Rate it:

(4.00 / 2 votes)
crème de la crèmecrème de la crème (the best of something)Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
crème de la crèmeBest of the best; something superlative. The very best.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
dead men tell no talesOnce someone is dead, they can no longer communicate, hence killing someone is the best way to keep him/her quiet.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)
deliver the message to garciaProgrammers are consistently dehumanized because so many do indeed deliver the message to Garcia only to be at best ignored.Rate it:

(0.00 / 0 votes)

We need you!

Help us build the largest human-edited phrases collection on the web!

Alternative searches for at the best of times:

Quiz

Are you a phrases master?

»
Knock your _______ off.
A socks
B sweater
C blazer
D shorts

Browse Phrases.com

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ