put one's best foot forward

verb

To show oneself in the best or most positive way possible; to make a favorable impression.

“Try to put your best foot forward at all times during a job interview.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbput one's best foot forward (third-person singular simple present puts one's best foot forward, present participle putting one's best foot forward, simple past and past participle put one's best foot forward)

present singular third person puts one's best foot forward · participle present putting one's best foot forward · alternative put one's best foot foremost

  1. idiomaticTo show oneself in the best or most positive way possible; to make a favorable impression.

    Try to put your best foot forward at all times during a job interview.

    1 more example

    Unsurprisingly, Perry puts her best foot forward on opener “Never Really Over,” a song that not only maintains a catchy, hummable refrain, but also ironically doubles as a sort of mission statement for the artist.

    2020 September 27, Alex McLevy, “With Smile, Katy Perry is desperately trying to have fun again”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 28 Aug 2020

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
put one's best foot foremost

Translations

Afrikaans die beste beentjie voorsit
  • die beste beentjie voorsitmake favorable impression
Chinese Mandarin 留一個好印象 /留一个好印象, 全力以赴
  • 留一個好印象 /留一个好印象 (liú yīgè hǎo yìnxiàng)make favorable impression
  • 全力以赴 (quánlìyǐfù)make favorable impression
Finnish näyttää paras puolensa
  • näyttää paras puolensamake favorable impression
French se montrer sous son meilleur jour
  • se montrer sous son meilleur jourmake favorable impression
German sich von seiner besten Seite zeigen, zu Höchstform auflaufen
  • sich von seiner besten Seite zeigenmake favorable impression
  • zu Höchstform auflaufenmake favorable impression
Italian fare buona impressione, fare del proprio meglio
  • fare buona impressionemake favorable impression
  • fare del proprio megliomake favorable impression
Russian показа́ть себя́ с лучше́й стороны́
  • показа́ть себя́ с лучше́й стороны́ (pokazátʹ sebjá s lučšéj storoný)make favorable impression
Swedish visa framfötterna
  • visa framfötternamake favorable impression
Cite this entry
APA

put one's best foot forward. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20one's%20best%20foot%20forward

MLA

“put one's best foot forward.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20one's%20best%20foot%20forward. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put one's best foot forward,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20one's%20best%20foot%20forward.

Source: put one's best foot forward on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.