second to none

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Adjective

second to none (not comparable)

1. As good as the best, as in quality or reputation; inferior to no one else or to nothing else of the same kind.
   • c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 96, column 2:

     Second Merchant: How is the man esteemed here in the city?
     Angelo: Of very reverend reputation, sir,
     Of credit infinite, highly beloved,
     Second to none that lives here in the city.

   • 1877, Anthony Trollope, chapter 11, in The Life of Cicero:

     “[I]f I, in the performance of my work, have been second to none, do you see that you in yours may be equally efficient?”

   • 1902 January–March, Joseph Conrad, “Typhoon”, in George R. Halkett, editor, The Pall Mall Magazine, volume XXVI, London: Printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney, →OCLC, chapter 1:

     The NanShan, he affirmed, was second to none as a sea-boat.

   • 1962 July, “B.R. signalling—Means to simplification and improvement”, in Modern Railways, page 50:

     Such equipment demands first-class design and manufacturing skills, a good deal of experience and quality of materials second to none, and cannot be inexpensive.

   • 1970, “The Makings of You”, in Curtis, performed by Curtis Mayfield:

     The righteous way to go / Little one would know / Or believe if I told them so / You're second to none

   • 2001 October 1, Yuri Zarakhovich, Alexander Lyakhovski, “A Tough Fight”, in Time:

     The Afghans have been second to none at small-war tactics ever since they fought the British in the 19th century.

   • 2020 December 2, Nigel Harris, “Comment: The UK's worst crisis since 1709”, in Rail, page 3:

     Emerging new research has revealed that rail is a second-to-none focus for Government investment.

Translations

as good as the best

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 无与伦比 (zh) (wúyǔlúnbǐ)

• Dutch: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: vailla vertaa
• French: sans égal (fr), hors pair (fr)
• German: niemanden nachstehend, unübertroffen, seinesgleichen suchend
• Spanish: no ir en zaga
• Welsh: heb ail

Noun

second to none

1. (slang, sometimes capitalized) Heroin.
   • 1992 July 30, “Powerful Heroin Kills 20”, in New York Times, retrieved 24 June 2011:

     The heroin, which police officials said had been measured at purity levels as high as 80 percent, is being sold under brand names like Unforgettable, Second to None, Black Beauty and Al Capone.

Translations

heroin — see heroin

References

• “second to none”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.