The Best French Phrases
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The French adverb mieux literally means “"better" or "best" and is found in a variety of idiomatic expressions. Learn how to say highly successful, leave well enough alone, better than ever, and more with this list of expressions with mieux.
Mieux is the comparative/superlative of bien (well, good).
Proverbs with mieux
| Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien. | Leave well enough alone. | |
| Mieux vaut plier que rompre. | Adapt and survive. | |
| Mieux vaut prévenir que guérir. | Prevention is better than cure. | |
| Mieux vaut tard que jamais. | Better late than never. | |
| Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l’auras. | A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. |
Expressions with mieux
| à qui mieux mieux | each one more than the next | ||
| au mieux | at best, for the best | ||
| au mieux de sa forme | in peak condition | ||
| au mieux de nos intérêts | in our best interests | ||
| bien mieux | much better | ||
| de mieux en mieux | better and better | ||
| un dîner des mieux réussis | a highly-successful dinner | ||
| en mettant les choses au mieux | at the very best | ||
| … en mieux | (like …) only better | ||
| une faute de mieux | for lack of anything better | ||
| le mieux-être | greater welfare, improved standard of living | ||
| le mieux serait de | the best thing/plan would be to | ||
| mieux que jamais | better than ever | ||
| le mieux-vivre | improved standard of living | ||
| qui mieux est | what’s even better | ||
| tant mieux | good, great, so much the better |
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| s’attendre à mieux | to expect more/better | ||
| changer en mieux | to change for the better | ||
| espérer mieux | to hope for better things | ||
| être le mieux du monde | to be in excellent health | ||
| être le / au mieux du monde avec qqun | to be on the best of terms with someone | ||
| être mieux | to be in better health | ||
| faire de son mieux | to do one’s best | ||
| se sentir mieux | to feel better | ||
| valoir mieux | to be better / more valuable |
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| C’est ce qui se fait de mieux. | It’s the best there is. | ||
| C’est on ne peut mieux. | It’s just perfect. | ||
| Faites pour le / au mieux. | Do what you think best. | ||
| Il ne s’est jamais mieux porté. | He’s never been better. | ||
| Ils ne valent pas mieux l’un que l’autre. | They’re two of a kind / One’s as bad as the other. | ||
| Il peut faire mieux. | He can do better. | ||
| Il vaut mieux … | It’s better to … | ||
| Il y a un / du mieux. | There’s been some improvement. | ||
| J’ai fait le / du mieux que j’ai pu. | I did the best I could. | ||
| Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles. (from Candide, by Voltaire) |
Everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds. | ||
| Tout va le mieux du monde. | Everything is going beautifully. | ||
| Tu n’as rien de mieux à faire ? | Don’t you have anything better to do? |
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