better
English Edit
Pronunciation Edit
- (non-rhotic) IPA(key): /ˈbɛtə/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): [ˈbɛtʰə]
- (General Australian) IPA(key): [ˈbeɾə]
- (New Zealand) IPA(key): [ˈbeɾɐ]
- (UK dialects) IPA(key): [ˈbeʔə]
- (rhotic) IPA(key): /ˈbɛtəɹ/
- Rhymes: -ɛtə(ɹ)
- Hyphenation: bet‧ter
Etymology 1 Edit
From Middle English better, bettre, betre, from Old English betera (“better”), from Proto-West Germanic *batiʀō, from Proto-Germanic *batizô (“better”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰed-rós, from *bʰed- (“good”).
Cognate with Sanskrit भद्र (bhadrá, “blessed, fortunate, happy, good”) (from *bʰn̥d-ró-s). For Germanic cognates: see Proto-Germanic *batizô. Related to best and battle (“getting better, improving, fruitful, fertile”). Compare also Icelandic batna (“to improve”), bót (“improvement”), German besser. More at batten, boot.
Persian بهتر (behtar) is a false cognate.
Adjective Edit
better (positive good, adverb well, comparative (humorous) betterer, superlative (humorous) betterest, or (standard) best)
- comparative degree of good
- comparative degree of well
- Greater in amount or quantity
- 1972, Harvey Andrews, Hey Sandy:
- “The air was still with the lonely thrill of 'now the hour is near'
And the smell of sweat was better yet than the awful stench of fear.”
- Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
- The top electric vehicles have a range of 300 kilometres or better. (better = greater)
- Only one swimmer finished the race with a time better than two minutes. (better = lesser)
Derived terms Edit
- against one's better judgment
- all to the better
- an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure
- an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure
- are you feeling better
- better and better
- better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
- better angels
- better angels of one's nature
- better angels of somebody's nature
- better angels of someone's nature
- better ball
- better dead than red
- better Dead than Red
- better dead than Red
- better half
- better is the enemy of good
- better-known
- better late than never
- better light
- better nature
- betterness
- better off
- better-paid
- better part of
- better place
- better safe than sorry
- bettership
- better than a kick in the teeth
- better than a poke in the eye
- better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick
- better than a poke in the eye with a rusty nail
- better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick
- better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick
- better than nothing
- better than sex
- better the devil you know than the devil you don't
- better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
- better the devil you know than the one you don't
- better the devil you know than the one you don't know
- better to be late than be dead on time
- better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
- better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
- better to light one candle than to curse the darkness
- better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness
- build a better mousetrap
- discretion is the better part of valor
- discretion is the better part of valour
- do someone one better
- for better or for worse
- for better or worse
- for the better
- get better
- go one better
- half a loaf is better than no bread
- half a loaf is better than no loaf
- half a loaf is better than none
- have seen better days
- I couldn't have said it better myself
- it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive
- it's better to ask forgiveness than permission
- it's better to be judged by twelve than to be carried by six
- know any better
- know better
- make a better door than a window
- no better than one ought to be
- prevention is better than cure
- something is better than nothing
- so much the better
- strictly better
- take a turn for the better
- the better is the enemy of the good
- the devil we know is better than the devil we don't
- the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know
- the devil you know is better than the devil you don't
- the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know
- the fewer the better fare
- the grey mare is the better horse
- think better of
- two heads are better than one
- you better believe it
Translations Edit
comparative of the adjectives good or well
|
Adverb Edit
better
- comparative degree of well
- The engine runs better now that I've given it some oil.
- c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
- I could never better stead thee than now. […]
- 1901, Louis Couperus, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, Small Souls:
- “I’ve had enough of cycling with you chaps. I can spend my Sundays better than in tormenting cats and quarrelling and fighting.”
- (Can we clean up(+) this sense?) (colloquial shortening) Had better.
- You better do that if you know what's good for you.
Derived terms Edit
Translations Edit
comparative of the adverb well
|
Noun Edit
better (plural betters)
- An entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.
- He quickly found Ali his better in the ring.
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
- Their betters would hardly be found.
Derived terms Edit
Etymology 2 Edit
Shortening of had better ('d better)
Verb Edit
better
- (modal, auxiliary verb, colloquial) Had better.
- It's getting late. You better get on home.
Usage notes Edit
- Better in this sense has often been considered an adverb. But it is virtually synonymous with should in We better be going. and with ought to in We better go. Should and ought are auxiliary verbs.
See also Edit
Etymology 3 Edit
From Middle English beteren, from Old English beterian, betrian, from Proto-Germanic *batizōną. Cognate with West Frisian betterje (“to better”), Dutch beteren (“to better”), German bessern (“to better”), Danish bedre (“to better”), Swedish bättra (“to better”).
Verb Edit
better (third-person singular simple present betters, present participle bettering, simple past and past participle bettered)
- (transitive) To improve.
- 1815, William Wordsworth, From the same (To the Supreme Being):
- Love betters what is best.
- 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 2, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:
- He thought to better his circumstances.
- 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 3, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
- the constant effort of every man to better himself
- (intransitive) To become better; to improve.
- This government will better this society
- (transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
- The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered.
- (transitive) To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- Weapons more violent, when next we meet, / May serve to better us and worse our foes.
Conjugation Edit
Conjugation of better
| infinitive | (to) better | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| present tense | past tense | ||
| 1st-person singular | better | bettered | |
| 2nd-person singular | |||
| 3rd-person singular | betters | ||
| plural | better | ||
| subjunctive | better | bettered | |
| imperative | better | — | |
| participles | bettering | bettered | |
Synonyms Edit
- See also Thesaurus:improve
Derived terms Edit
Translations Edit
to improve
|
to become better
|
to surpass in excellence
|
Etymology 4 Edit
Alternate spelling of bettor or modern formation from the verb to bet.
Noun Edit
better (plural betters)
- Alternative spelling of bettor
References Edit
- “better”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “better”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Central Franconian Edit
Alternative forms Edit
Etymology Edit
From Old High German bittar.
Pronunciation Edit
Adjective Edit
better (masculine bettere, feminine better, comparative betterer, superlative et betterste)
- (most dialects) bitter
- Proverb: Mösse es e better Krock. ― To be obliged is a bitter herb.
Middle English Edit
Etymology 1 Edit
Adjective Edit
better
- Alternative form of bettre
Adverb Edit
better
- Alternative form of bettre
Noun Edit
better
- Alternative form of bettre
Etymology 2 Edit
Verb Edit
better
- Alternative form of beteren
Scots Edit
Etymology Edit
From Middle English bettre, from Old English betera.
Pronunciation Edit
Adjective Edit
better
Derived terms Edit
- better-faured (“better-featured, better-looking”)
- bettermaist (“better-class”)
- betterment (“improvement”)
- betterness (“recovery”)
- the better o that (“the better for that”)
Adverb Edit
better (comparative mair better, superlative maist better)
Noun Edit
better (uncountable)
- that which is better, something better or superior
Verb Edit
better (third-person singular simple present betters, present participle betterin, simple past bettert, past participle bettert)
West Frisian Edit
Adjective Edit
better
- inflection of goed: