better than all others► best better than anything or anyone else: · The best ice cream in the world is made in Italy.· What's the best way to cook sweet potatoes?by far the best/easily the best (=much better than any others): · It was by far the best vacation I've ever had.somebody's best: · I've read most of his books, but 'Mosquito Coast' is easily his best.
► greatest the best and most important that there has ever been: · New Yorkers think they live in the greatest city on earth.· Picasso is generally regarded as the greatest artist of the 20th century.· Gorbachev's greatest achievement was ending the Cold War.
► finest the best and highest quality, or the best and most skilful: · Hemingway was the finest American writer of his generation.· The Silver Pavilion is one of the finest examples of Japanese architecture.· Many people regard Beethoven's Fifth Symphony as his finest work.· The gallery's collection of early Impressionist paintings is one of the world's finest.
► ideal the best and most suitable: · The ideal candidate will have a degree and at least two years' experience.· I'm afraid the accommodation here is far from ideal.ideal for: · The conditions are ideal for a day's skiing.ideal for doing something: · The town makes an ideal base for exploring the surrounding countryside.
► top the most skilful, most successful, and most famous: · He is definitely one of the world's top golfers.· The prize is to have your hair done at a top New York salon.
► number one the person who is most successful in their company or in the type of work that they do: · For three years, he was the company's number one salesman.· Sweden's number one model has married American actor Tommy Haines.
► the: the place/shop/person/authority etc use this to say that something is the best one of its kind. Pronounce it as 'thee' instead of 'thuh': · Manhattan's East Village is the place for exciting nightlife.· Our guest speaker today is the authority on Chinese politics.
► ultimate the ultimate person or thing is the very best of their type that there has ever been, and it is hard to believe that anything could ever be better: · Monroe was the ultimate Hollywood movie star.· For many people, the Rolling Stones will always be the world's ultimate rock and roll band.the ultimate in: · Our first-class passengers enjoy the ultimate in luxury and service.
► optimum the best that can be achieved or the best for a particular purpose - used especially in scientific contexts: · The optimum temperature for producing steel is around 1200C.
► definitive the definitive description, study etc is considered to be the best and cannot be improved - use this about a book or piece of work that is the best of its kind: · Griffin is the author of the definitive travel guide 'France at Your Fingertips'.· This may be the definitive book on the Scarlatti trial.· Many people regard it as the definitive interpretation of 'War and Peace'.
► unsurpassed formal if something is unsurpassed , nothing else has ever been better - use this about qualities or achievements: · His genius as a dramatist is unsurpassed.· Venice is a city of unsurpassed beauty.
► record-breaking: a record-breaking result, temperature, time etc is the highest, largest, fastest etc that has ever been achieved: · A record-breaking five hundred thousand people attended the festival. · Record-breaking temperatures are being forecast for the weekend.
a record-breaking number, level, performance, or person is the highest, lowest, biggest, best etc of its type that has ever happened or existed: 
his record-breaking flight across the Atlantic—record-breaker noun [countable]