do one's best
doo wunz BEST
/duː wʌnz bɛst/
To perform an action with as much effort and skill as possible.
Focuses on the quality of the performance or activity.
The story behind the word. 'Best' is the superlative of 'good'. We use 'do' because it refers to the performance of an action at its highest possible quality level.
Word relationships
- excel: To be exceptionally good at something.
- strive: To make a great effort to achieve something.
- slacker: To work lazily or without effort.
- neglect: To fail to give proper attention to a task.
Commonly confused with
- make a success: 'Do one's best' is about the effort; 'make a success' is about the outcome.
Word family
- best (adjective): Of the most excellent or desirable type or quality.
Collocations
- do one's absolute best
- do one's level best
- try to do one's best
Idioms & expressions
- give it one's all
Example sentences
- "It doesn't matter if you win, as long as you do your best." Encouragement
- "'Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.'" Literature
Memory hook
'Do' the 'best' you can 'do'. Do your best, forget the rest.
When not to use
Do not use 'make one's best'.
Fun facts
- The phrase 'do one's level best' comes from the 19th-century American West, possibly referring to a level surface.
- 'Do your best' is one of the first collocations children learn in school.
Related words
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