Link Centre Dictionary

Also Comparative of good

better

bet·ter

UK/ˈbɛt.ə/ US/ˈbɛtʰ.ə/ very common
adjective (4) adverb (2) verb (3) noun (3)

adjective

1.

(comparative of `good') superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

  • “You”
  • “;”
  • “;”
  • “;”
  • “;”
  • “;”
  • “;”
  • “s better in math than in history”
Antonyms
Similar
2.

(comparative of `good'') changed for the better in health or fitness

  • “her health is better now”
  • “I feel better”
Antonyms
Similar
3.

(comparative and superlative of `well'') wiser or more advantageous and hence advisable

  • “it would be better to speak to him”
  • “the White House thought it best not to respond”
Synonyms
Similar
4.

more than half

  • “argued for the better part of an hour”
Similar

adverb

1.

comparative of `well''; in a better or more excellent manner or more advantageously or attractively or to a greater degree etc.

  • “She had never sung better”
  • “a deed better left undone”
  • “better suited to the job”
2.

from a position of superiority or authority

  • “father knows best”
  • “I know better.”
Synonyms

verb

1.

surpass in excellence

  • “She bettered her own record”
  • “break a record”
Synonyms
2.

to make better

  • “The editor improved the manuscript with his changes”
Synonyms
Antonyms
3.

get better

  • “The weather improved toward evening”
Synonyms
Antonyms

noun

1.

one having claim to precedence; a superior

  • “the common man has been kept in his place by his betters”
2.

someone who bets

Synonyms
3.

the superior one of two alternatives

  • “chose the better of the two”

Origin

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 Dutch beter, German besser, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål bedre, Norwegian Nynorsk betre, Swedish bättre, Faroese and Icelandic betri. Also Sanskrit भ॒द्र (bhadrá, “blessed; fortunate; happy; good”) (from *bʰn̥d-ró-s). Related to best and battle (“getting better; improving; fruitful; fertile”). Compare also Icelandic batna (“to improve”), bót (“improvement”), German besser. More at batten, boot. False cognate of Persian بهتر (behtar).

Phrases

  • against one's better judgment
  • all to the better
  • an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure
  • an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure
  • are you feeling better
  • better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
  • better and better
  • better angels
  • good and well comparative degree of good and well

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.