had better

Idioms

Also, had best. Ought to, should. For example, You had better finish this one before starting another, or We had best be going. [Mid-1400s] Also see you'd better believe it.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

had better

Only two people had better than average hearing at certain low frequencies.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026

Any U.S. action risks escalation, so it had better be with a strategic purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

We had better hope so, or this trend is going to get worse.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

Chip stocks suffered a wobble, and investors had better hope that’s all it is.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

He had better manners than you’d expect, but how could I play with his toys?

From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023