the best thing
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Something that is extremely good or beneficial
Literally: the most excellent item
Register: neutral
Examples
Getting the job was the best thing that happened to me.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Everyday learner phrase (CEFR A2); level cross-referenced from published learner lists. Definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “the best thing” mean?
Something that is extremely good or beneficial Literally: the most excellent item
Is “the best thing” formal or informal?
the best thing is generally neutral.