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• better-off
  better-off

  adjective

  being in better circumstances, especially economically.
• better off
  better off

  In a more favorable position or financial circumstances. For example, They were better off flying than driving there, or They were better off than most of their neighbors. This phrase is the comparative form of well off. [Mid-1800s]

better-off

American  

[bet-er-awf, -of] / ˈbɛt ərˈɔf, -ˈɒf /

adjective

1. being in better circumstances, especially economically.

   Only the better-off nations can afford to send probes into space.

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better off Idioms  

1. In a more favorable position or financial circumstances. For example, They were better off flying than driving there, or They were better off than most of their neighbors. This phrase is the comparative form of well off. [Mid-1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of better-off

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

better-off better off

Disadvantaged pupils were, on average, 19 months behind their classmates from better-off backgrounds by the time they got to Key Stage 4, the report said.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

These retailers are aggressively courting better-off customers at the same time that their traditional customers are cutting back due to inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

Bankers interpret this as a sign that slightly better-off consumers are absorbing the higher prices, while lower-income customers are increasingly cutting back or seeking cheaper alternatives.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 8, 2026

It’s not to drag the relatively better-off down to the bottom, but to allow more people to pull themselves up.

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2025

The better-off folk of Welch had not exactly flocked to our part of town.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Fat tissue is often viewed as something the body would be better off without.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Some people who can afford to invest their Social Security benefits wonder whether they’d be better off claiming early and investing their checks in the stock market.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026

“It’s a brutal business — you are better off putting your money into treasury bills, historically, so it’s hard for studios.”

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

He says the main benefit is the $1,000 starting subsidy but suggests many families would be better off using existing savings accounts.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Still, I decided we’d be better off if we crossed the road outside the terminal, putting as much distance between us as possible.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman