ðə best əv boʊθ wɜːrldz
General
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- Having the advantages of two different situations
What does "the best of both worlds" mean?
- Having all the advantages of two different things
- Enjoying benefits from two seemingly incompatible situations
Examples
- Working from home gives me the best of both worlds.
- This hybrid car offers the best of both worlds.
- Living near the city and country gives us the best of both worlds.
Origin
From the idea of enjoying heaven and earth simultaneously. Popularized in 18th century.
How to use it
Positive expression about optimal situations. Common in marketing.
Similar expressions
win-win
have it all
ideal combination
Opposites
worst of both worlds
lose-lose
neither here nor there
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "the best of both worlds" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.