Top Definitions
Synonyms
Quiz
Related Content
More About Better
When To Use
Examples
British
Idioms And Phrases

better

[ bet-er ]

/ ˈbɛt ər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: better / bettered / bettering on Thesaurus.com

adjective, comparative of good, with best as superlative.

of 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.

adverb, comparative of well, with best as superlative.

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.

verb (used with object)

to increase the good qualities of; make better; improve: to better one's grades;to better the lot of the suburban commuter.

to improve upon; surpass; exceed: We have bettered last year's production record.

Cards. to raise (a previous bid).

noun

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR better

10 amend; advance, promote; reform, correct, rectify.

See synonyms for better on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

First recorded before 900; Middle English bettre, Old English bet(te)ra; cognate with Old High German bezziro (German besser ), Dutch beter, Old Norse betr, Gothic batiza, equivalent to bat- (cognate with Old High German baz (adverb) “better”; akin to boot²) + -iza comparative suffix; see best

OTHER WORDS FROM better

un·bet·tered, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH better

better , bettor

Words nearby better

betta, Bette, betted, Bettelheim, Bettendorf, better, Better Business Bureau, better half, Better late than never, betterment, betterment tax

Other definitions for better (2 of 2)

better²

[ bet-er ]

/ ˈbɛt ər /

noun

a variant of bettor.

Origin of better

bet¹ + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT BETTER

What is a basic definition of better?

Better is an adjective that describes something as being superior or is an adverb that means something is done to a higher degree or more completely. As a verb, better means to improve. The word better has more specific senses as an adjective, adverb, and a verb.

As an adjective, the word better is a comparative of the word good, with the superlative being best. This means that if something is better, it is “more good” than something else but might be “less good” than something that is best. For example, in the Olympic Games a bronze medal is good, a silver medal is better, and a gold medal is the best you can get. Because better is a comparative, you must be comparing two things or conditions when using it.

Real-life examples: An A is a better grade than a B on a test. Most people would agree that a spoonful of cinnamon has a better taste than a spoonful of cough medicine. A racer who finishes first is a better driver than all of the other racers.
Used in a sentence: I think a puppy is a better pet for a kid than a snake.

Sometimes, only one of the things being compared is mentioned, while the other is implied. This is most commonly done when the word better is used to mean improved health.

Used in a sentence: I was throwing up all morning, but I am better now.

Better is also used as an adverb as a comparative of the word well, with best as the superlative. It often describes how something is done. For example, I can play soccer well, a college soccer player plays better, and an Olympic soccer player plays best out of the three of us.

Real-life examples: A chess master will play chess better than someone who has never played at all. Some students learn better than others. You read articles like this one to learn how to use words better.
Used in a sentence: He can draw well, but I know that I can draw better (than he can).

As a verb, better means to improve something.

Used in a sentence: Laurel took the time to better herself as a business owner.

Where does better come from?

The first records of better come from before the 900s. It comes from the Old English betera and is related to similar words from other languages, such as the Old Norse betr, the Gothic batiza, and the Old High German bezziro.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to better?

unbettered (adjective)

What are some synonyms for better?

What are some words that share a root or word element with better?

What are some words that often get used in discussing better?

What are some words better may be commonly confused with?

bettor

How is better used in real life?

Better is a very common word that means something is superior or something is done in a superior way.

Next goal is to buy a better camera.

— send me music links ‼️ (@PoetQTV) January 4, 2021

We will never forget the everyday heroes and first responders who gave their lives on 9/11, and those working to build a better world after.

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 11, 2017

Running seems like a great idea until you're 30 seconds in and decide pizza sounds better.

— Sean Lowe (@SeanLowe09) August 11, 2016

Try using better!

Is better used correctly in the following sentence?

I played well and scored 17 points, but she played better and scored 20 points to beat me.

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say better?

To better something is to increase its good qualities. When should you use this verb over improve or ameliorate? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

How to use better in a sentence

Then pair it with regulatory changes to help the housing market work better for more people.
Joe Biden’s surprisingly visionary housing plan, explained|Matthew Yglesias|July 9, 2020|Vox
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|Fortune
With 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 News
Researchers 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|Fortune

Non-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.
How Black Communities Are Bridging the Food Access Gap|Nadra Nittle|July 8, 2020|Eater
We need to recover and grow the idea that the proper answer to bad speech is more and better speech.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yes, we do typically do better than Europe (and Canada, too, which is frequently awful on this score).
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The cartoonist, better known as Charb, was shot dead Wednesday.
France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He also wants to “replace every existing organism with a better one.”
Design Your Own Dinosaur: The Era of Custom DNA|Justin Jones|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
For someone with anorexia, self-starvation makes them feel better.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Of 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 Jackson
Arches more graceful in form, or better fitted to defy the assaults of time, I have never seen.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
This is one of the most striking manifestations of the better side of child-nature and deserves a chapter to itself.
Children's Ways|James Sully
For 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)

better¹

/ (ˈbɛtə) /

adjective

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 ofthe better part of a day

adverb

the comparative of well 1

in a more excellent manner; more advantageously, attractively, etc

in or to a greater degree or extent; moreshe 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 toI 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

noun

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 improvementa change for the better

get the better of to defeat, outwit, or surpass

the better of Irish having recovered fromI'm not the better of it yet

verb

to make or become better

(tr) to improve upon; surpass

Word Origin for better

Old English betera; related to Old Norse betri, Gothic batiza, Old High German beziro

British Dictionary definitions for better (2 of 2)

better²

esp US bettor

/ (ˈbɛtə) /

noun

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

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.

better

OTHER WORDS FOR better

Idioms about better

Origin of better

OTHER WORDS FROM better

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH better

Words nearby better

Other definitions for better (2 of 2)

Origin of better

MORE ABOUT BETTER

What is a basic definition of better?

Where does better come from?

Did you know ... ?

How is better used in real life?

Try using better!

WHEN TO USE

What are other ways to say better?

Words related to better

How to use better in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for better (1 of 2)

Word Origin for better

British Dictionary definitions for better (2 of 2)

esp US bettor

Other Idioms and Phrases with better