Example: Met de beste wil van de wereld kan ik het niet oplossen.
Definition
"Met de beste wil van de wereld" is a Dutch expression used to emphasize that even with the greatest effort or goodwill, something cannot be done or achieved. For example, it means 'Even with the best will in the world, I cannot solve it.'
Translations
with the best will in the world
con toda la buena voluntad
amb tota la bona voluntat
avec toute la bonne volonté du monde
beim besten Willen
con tutta la buona volontà del mondo
com a melhor vontade do mundo
Etymology
The phrase "met de beste wil van de wereld" literally translates to 'with the best will of the world.' It reflects the idea of applying one's utmost goodwill or intention. This idiomatic expression has evolved in Dutch to highlight sincere but insufficient effort, and its origin is straightforward from the literal meaning of the words.
Learn to use this expression actively
"Met de beste wil van de wereld" appears in the Vocaplus list "Dutch - General - Idioms and Proverbs - (C2) - set 1", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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with the best will in the world