Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Better

Bet′ter

,
Adj.
; compar. of Good.
[OE.
betere
,
bettre
, and as adv.
bet
, AS.
betera
, adj., and
bet
, adv.; akin to Icel.
betri
, adj.,
betr
, adv., Goth.
batiza
, adj., OHG.
bezziro
, adj.,
baz
, adv., G.
besser
, adj. and adv.,
bass
, adv., E.
boot
, and prob. to Skr.
bhadra
excellent. See
Boot
advantage, and cf.
Best
,
Batful
.]
1.
Having good qualities in a greater degree than another;
as, a
better
man; a
better
physician; a
better
house; a
better
air
.
Could make the worse appear
The
better
reason.
Milton.
2.
Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness, acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.
To obey is
better
than sacrifice.
1 Sam. xv. 22.
It is
better
to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
Ps. cxviii. 9.
3.
Greater in amount; larger; more.
4.
Improved in health; less affected with disease;
as, the patient is
better
.
5.
More advanced; more perfect;
as, upon
better
acquaintance; a
better
knowledge of the subject
.
All the better
.
See under
All
,
adv.
–
Better half
,
an expression used to designate one’s wife.

My dear, my
better
half (said he),
I find I must now leave thee.
Sir P. Sidney.
–
To be better off
,
to be in a better condition.
–
Had better
.
(See under
Had
).
The phrase had better, followed by an infinitive without to, is idiomatic. The earliest form of construction was “were better” with a dative; as, “Him were better go beside.” (
Gower.
) i. e., It would be better for him, etc. At length the nominative (I, he, they, etc.) supplanted the dative and had took the place of were. Thus we have the construction now used.
By all that's holy, he
had better
starve
Than but once think this place becomes thee not.
Shakespeare

Bet′ter

,
Noun.
1.
Advantage, superiority, or victory; – usually with of;
as, to get the
better
of an enemy
.
2.
One who has a claim to precedence; a superior, as in merit, social standing, etc.; – usually in the plural.
Their
betters
would hardly be found.
Hooker.
For the better
,
in the way of improvement; so as to produce improvement.
“If I have altered him anywhere for the better.”
Dryden.

Bet′ter

,
adv.
;
com
par.
of
Well
.
1.
In a superior or more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, courage, virtue, advantage, or success;
as, Henry writes
better
than John; veterans fight
better
than recruits
.
I could have
better
spared a better man.
Shakespeare
2.
More correctly or thoroughly.
The
better
to understand the extent of our knowledge.
Locke.
3.
In a higher or greater degree; more;
as, to love one
better
than another
.
Never was monarch
better
feared, and loved.
Shakespeare
4.
More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.;
as, ten miles and
better
.
[Colloq.]
To think better of
(any one),
to have a more favorable opinion of any one.
–
To think better of
(an opinion, resolution, etc.),
to reconsider and alter one's decision.

Bet′ter

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Bettered
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Bettering
.]
[AS.
beterian
,
betrian
, fr.
betera
better. See
Better
,
Adj.
]
1.
To improve or ameliorate; to increase the good qualities of.
Love
betters
what is best.
Wordsworth.
He thought to
better
his circumstances.
Thackeray.
2.
To improve the condition of, morally, physically, financially, socially, or otherwise.
The constant effort of every man to
better
himself.
Macaulay.
3.
To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be
bettered
.
Hooker.
4.
To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
[Obs.]
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,
May serve to
better
us and worse our foes.
Milton.
Syn. – To improve; meliorate; ameliorate; mend; amend; correct; emend; reform; advance; promote.

Bet′ter

,
Verb.
I.
To become better; to improve.
Carlyle.

Bet′ter

,
Noun.
One who bets or lays a wager.

Webster 1828 Edition

Better

BET'TER

, a comp. of bet. See Best.]
1.
Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; applied to physical, acquired or moral qualities; as a better soil, a better man, a better physician, a better house, a better air, a better harvest.
2.
More advantageous.
Were it not better for us to return to Egypt: Ex.14.
3.
More acceptable.
To obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Sam.15.
4.
More safe.
It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man. Ps.118.
5.
Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the patient is better.
6.
To be better off, to be in a better condition. Beddoes,Hygeia. This is a very common phrase; but ought not off, to be of? It is not elegant.
7.
To have the better, is to have the advantage or superiority, followed by of before him or that over which the advantage is enjoyed; as, the English had the better of the Spaniards.
8.
To get or gain the better, is to obtain the advantage, superiority or victory; as, to get the better of an enemy.
9.
For the better, is for the advantage or improvement.

BET'TER

,
adv.
In a more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, virtue, advantage or success; as, to perform work better; to plan a scheme better; land better cultivated; laws better executed; government better administered.
1.
More correctly, or fully; as, to understand a subject better than another.
2.
With superior excellence; as, to write or speak better than another.
3.
With more affection; in a higher degree; as, to love one better than another.
It is not easy to specify and exemplify the various applications of better. In general,it implies what is more excellent, advantageous, useful, or virtuous, than something else.

BET'TER

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To improve; to meliorate; to increase the good qualities of; as, manure betters land; discipline may better the morals.
2.
To surpass; to exceed.
The works of nature do always aim at that which cannot be bettered.
Qu.is not the sense, made better:
3.
To advance; to support; to give advantage to; as, to better a party; to better a cause.

BET'TER

,
Noun.
A superior; one who has a claim to precedence on account of his rank, age, or office; as, give place to your betters. It is generally or always used in the plural.

Definition 2024

better

better

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

better

  1. comparative form of good: more good
    • 2002 November 1, “Shindig”, in Firefly, episode 4:
      Badger: You think you're better than other people.
      Mal: Just the ones I'm better than.
  2. comparative form of well: more well
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Adverb

better

  1. comparative form of well: more well
  2. More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
    ten miles and better
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Verb

better ‎(third-person singular simple present betters, present participle bettering, simple past and past participle bettered)

  1. (transitive) To improve.
    • Wordsworth
      Love betters what is best.
    • Thackeray
      He thought to better his circumstances.
    • Macaulay
      the constant effort of every man to better himself
  2. (intransitive) To become better; to improve.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Carlyle to this entry?)
  3. (transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
    • Hooker
      The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered.
  4. (transitive) To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
    • Milton
      Weapons more violent, when next we meet, / May serve to better us and worse our foes.
  5. (slang) Had better.
    You better do that if you know what's good for you.
Derived terms
Synonyms
  • See also Wikisaurus:improve
Translations

Noun

better ‎(plural betters)

  1. 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.
    • Hooker
      Their betters would hardly be found.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Alternate pronunciation of bettor or modern formation from the verb to bet.

Noun

better ‎(plural betters)

  1. Alternative spelling of bettor

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: going · knew · seen · #207: better · name · among · done

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old High German bittar

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbetʌ/

Adjective

better ‎(masculine bettere, feminine better, comparative betterer, superlative et betterste)

  1. (most dialects) bitter
    Mösse es e better Krock.
    To be obliged is a bitter herb. (A proverb.)

Scots

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈbɛtər]

Adjective

better

  1. comparative degree of guid

Derived terms

Adverb

better ‎(comparative mair better, superlative maist better)

  1. better
  2. quite recovered from illness
  3. more than

Noun

better ‎(uncountable)

  1. that which is better, something better or superior

Verb

better ‎(third-person singular present betters, present participle betterin, past bettert, past participle bettert)

  1. to better, improve

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian betera, from Proto-Germanic *batizô. Compare English better, Low German beter, Dutch beter, German besser, Danish bedre.

Adjective

better

  1. better

Etymology

From Middle English better, bettre, betre, from Old English betera ‎(“better”), from Proto-Germanic *batizô ‎(“better”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhAd- ‎(“good”). Cognate with Sanskrit भद्र ‎(bhadrá, “blessed, fortunate, happy, good”). For Germanic cognates: see Proto-Germanic *batizô. Verb is from Middle English beteren, from Old English beterian ‎(“to make better, improve”). Related to best and battle ‎(“getting better, improving, fruitful, fertile”). Compare also Icelandic batna ‎(“to improve”), Icelandic bót ‎(“improvement”). More at batten, boot.

Pronunciation

Similar Results