better
1of superior quality or excellence: a better coat; a better speech.
morally superior; more virtuous: They are no better than thieves.
of superior suitability, advisability, desirability, acceptableness, etc.; preferable: a better time for action.
larger; greater: the better part of a lifetime.
improved in health; healthier than before.
completely recovered in health.
in a more appropriate or acceptable way or manner: to behave better.
to a greater degree; more completely or thoroughly: He knows the way better than we do. I probably know him better than anyone else.
more: I walked better than a mile to town.
to increase the good qualities of; make better; improve: to better one's grades;to better the lot of the suburban commuter.
Cards. to raise (a previous bid).
that which has greater excellence or is preferable or wiser: the better of two choices.
Usually betters . those superior to one in wisdom, wealth, etc.
Idioms about better
better off,
in better circumstances.
more fortunate; happier: Because of his asthma, he would be better off in a different climate.
better oneself, to improve one's social standing, financial position, or education: He is going to night school because he wants to better himself.
for the better, in a way that is an improvement: His health changed for the better.
get / have the better of,
to get an advantage over.
to prevail against.
go (someone) one better, to exceed the effort of; be superior to: The neighbors went us one better by buying two new cars.
had better, would be wiser or more well-advised to; ought to: We had better stay indoors today.
no better than one should be, morally inferior; immoral or amoral: Don't speak to him; he's no better than he should be!
think better of,
to reconsider and decide more favorably or wisely regarding: I was tempted to make a sarcastic retort, but thought better of it.
to form a higher opinion of: I think better of him now that he's gone back to college.
Origin of better
1Other words for better
Other words from better
- un·bet·tered, adjective
Words that may be confused with better
- better , bettor
Words Nearby better
How to use better in a sentence
Then pair it with regulatory changes to help the housing market work better for more people.
As the actors do it more and more, they get better and better.
‘The Old Guard’ director Gina Prince-Bythewood on adapting a comic book story and keeping it ‘real’ | radmarya | July 9, 2020 | FortuneWith such training, police departments will be better positioned to collect and evaluate data on their own.
There’s little evidence showing which police reforms work | Sujata Gupta | July 9, 2020 | Science NewsResearchers are hopeful about using machine learning techniques to analyze medical data like patient records, which could help doctors better treat patients by knowing how they’ll likely respond to certain therapies.
Why messy data is a big problem in the fight against COVID-19 | jonathanvanian2015 | July 8, 2020 | FortuneNon-Black allies of color are also taking steps to support food justice — providing meals to a Black Lives Matter chapter, championing Black chefs, and better fostering workplace diversity.
We need to recover and grow the idea that the proper answer to bad speech is more and better speech.
Yes, we do typically do better than Europe (and Canada, too, which is frequently awful on this score).
The cartoonist, better known as Charb, was shot dead Wednesday.
He also wants to “replace every existing organism with a better one.”
For someone with anorexia, self-starvation makes them feel better.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models | Carrie Arnold | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTOf course, considerations of weight have to be taken into account, but the more mould round the roots the better.
How to Know the Ferns | S. Leonard Bastin"better so," was the Senora's sole reply; and she fell again into still deeper, more perplexed thought about the hidden treasure.
Ramona | Helen Hunt JacksonArches more graceful in form, or better fitted to defy the assaults of time, I have never seen.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThis is one of the most striking manifestations of the better side of child-nature and deserves a chapter to itself.
Children's Ways | James SullyFor it is better that thy children should ask of thee, than that thou look toward the hands of thy children.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | Various
British Dictionary definitions for better (1 of 2)
/ (ˈbɛtə) /
the comparative of good
more excellent than other members of a particular group, category, etc
more suitable, advantageous, attractive, etc
improved in health
fully recovered in health
in more favourable circumstances, esp financially
better off in more favourable circumstances, esp financially
the better part of a large part of: the better part of a day
the comparative of well 1
in a more excellent manner; more advantageously, attractively, etc
in or to a greater degree or extent; more: she is better loved than her sister
go one better (Brit intr; US tr) to outdo (a person) or improve upon (someone else's effort)
had better would be wise, sensible, etc to: I had better be off
know better than to not to be so stupid as to
think better of
to change one's course of action after reconsideration
to rate (a person) more highly
the better something that is the more excellent, useful, etc, of two such things
(usually plural) a person who is superior, esp in social standing or ability
all the better for improved as a result of
all the better to more suitable to
for better for worse whatever the subsequent events or changes may be
for the better by way of improvement: a change for the better
get the better of to defeat, outwit, or surpass
the better of Irish having recovered from: I'm not the better of it yet
to make or become better
(tr) to improve upon; surpass
Origin of better
1British Dictionary definitions for better (2 of 2)
esp US bettor
/ (ˈbɛtə) /
a person who bets
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with better
In addition to the idioms beginning with better
- better half
- better late than never
- better off
- better part of
- better safe than sorry
- better than
also see:
- against one's better judgment
- all better
- all the better
- discretion is the better part of valor
- for better or for worse
- get better
- get the better (best) of
- go one better
- had better (best)
- know better
- seen better days
- so much the better
- sooner the better
- take a turn for the better
- think better of
- you'd better believe it
Also see underbest.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse