best very far

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "best very far" is not correct and does not make sense in written English.
It seems to be an attempt to express a superlative degree of distance or quality, but it lacks clarity and proper structure. Example: "He is the best runner very far ahead of his competitors." (Note: This example still sounds awkward.)

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Ashley Young is no Best – very far from it – and United possess no-one like him – very far from it – so the only hope after two more swallow dives which gained him a booking and United an opening goal is that Young will appreciate that he is earning himself a reputation.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Bill Dudley, head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, captured the mood in a recent speech, bluntly titled "A bit better, but very far from best".

The Economist

But it is not their best work, and very far from the heights achieved in 2014 with their blistering workplace picture Two Days, One Night.

The Guardian - Film

"I am not on the way to be the best in history because that's very far," he said after dismissing Mikhail Youzhny on Saturday in the semifinals.

The New York Times - Sports

Yet neither leader has got very far down the best exit route from this crisis: shrinking the finance sector and making it less risky.

The Guardian - Opinion

Contrary to the statements of the Republican leadership, extensive data accumulated by the World Health Organization and other independent organizations clearly document that we have very far from the best health care in the world.

The New York Times

But China's position in respect to its claim looks stretched at best as most of them are very far away from Hainan, the nearest Chinese territory hospitable to people.

The Guardian

Macfarlane goes so far as to say (and this, as James would put it, is indeed to go very far) that the "best way to understand the nature of Hollinghurst's ambitions and failures as a moralist is to measure him against James".

The Guardian - Books

The least cost of any random solution is 41.5 M, which is very far above the best solution (17.6 M) found with our proposed algorithm.

Urban Rail Transit

In fact, it is clear that, at least in some jurisdictions, measuring the 'return on investment' and planning for how resources should best be spent are not always very far advanced [ 5].

Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation

We don't have to look very far to find the best area to invest in.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "best very far" in your writing. It's grammatically incorrect and not idiomatic. Opt for alternatives like "by far the best" or "far and away the best" to convey your intended meaning effectively.

Common error

A common mistake is to use "very" directly before "far" in an attempt to intensify "best". However, "very" doesn't modify "far" correctly in this context. Instead, use a more established construction like "by far" to properly modify "best".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "best very far" attempts to function as a superlative adjective phrase, aiming to indicate something is superior by a significant margin. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the construction is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity. The correct usage involves alternatives like "by far the best".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "best very far" is grammatically incorrect and not recommended for use in writing. As Ludwig AI indicates, it's an unidiomatic expression that doesn't effectively convey the intended meaning of significant superiority. Instead, opt for grammatically sound and widely accepted alternatives such as "by far the best" or "far and away the best" to ensure clarity and correctness in your writing. While some examples exist in news and scientific sources, their limited presence underscores the phrase's infrequent and non-standard usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

far and away the best

Emphasizes that something is significantly better than others, using a more idiomatic and grammatically sound structure.

by far the best

Highlights that something is superior to all others, with a strong emphasis on the extent of the difference.

easily the best

Indicates that something is the best without much competition or doubt.

unquestionably the best

Stresses that something is the best without any possibility of dispute.

the best by a long shot

Implies that something is the best by a considerable margin or degree.

the best by a mile

Similar to "the best by a long shot", emphasizing a large difference in quality or performance.

considerably better

Focuses on the noticeable improvement or superiority of something over others.

substantially better

Highlights a significant degree of improvement or superiority.

significantly better

Emphasizes that something is noticeably superior in a meaningful way.

markedly superior

Indicates a distinct and easily noticeable difference in quality or performance.

FAQs

Is "best very far" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "best very far" is grammatically incorrect. It's not a standard or idiomatic way to express superiority or distance in English.

What are some alternatives to "best very far"?

You can use phrases like "far and away the best" or "by far the best" to express that something is significantly better.

How can I emphasize that something is much better than others?

Instead of "best very far", try using "easily the best", "unquestionably the best", or "the best by a mile" to highlight the extent of the difference.

What is the difference between "best very far" and "by far the best"?

While "best very far" is grammatically incorrect, "by far the best" is a correct and commonly used idiom to emphasize that something is superior to everything else. It's the preferred choice in formal and informal writing.