Best or most

Question

Could you tell me whether I can use "best" instead of "most" in the sentence 1)

1) One of the exhibits which interested me most was the very bowl that Tokugawa Ieyasu had actually used.

I mean, does the sentence 2) below sound natural??

2) One of the exhibits which interested me best was the very bowl that Tokugawa Ieyasu had actually used.

Thanks a lot in advance!

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

H Mwhich interested me most

Good.

H M which interested me best

No.

CJ

H M · Answer

I see. Thanks a lot!

I can't explain why but I think people don't use "best" that way, so I felt like it was wrong sentence.
Now it's clear thanks to you!

CalifJim · Answer

I can't get my mind around the idea that something could interest me in a better way than something else interests me. How could we measure how well we are interested in something?

It interests me well. (in a good way)
It interests me badly. (in a bad way)
It interests me better. (in a better way)
It interests me worse. (in a worse way)
It interests me best. (in the best way)
It interests me worst. (in the worst way)

None of these make any sense to me. And I see that they don't make sense to you either.

CJ

H M · Answer

CalifJim can't get my mind around the idea that something could interest me in a better way than something else interests me. How could we measure how well we are interested in something?

Oh!!!
That's a very interesting way to see how to use words!
I've never thought it that way, but yes, we don't measuer how well we are interested in something.

I first thought that in the sentence "best" was used to express that something is interesting the most, as No.1.
Like, he is the best of all the students in his class. Which means he is the No.1 student.

Thank you!

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