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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.

Staff suggested women could have had better birth experiences "if appropriate care had been provided without delay".

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Eisenhower said, ‘We had better meteorologists than the Germans.’

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

No club in English soccer had better perfected the art of teasing its fans with the promise of success, only to fall apart when it mattered most.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

And Wall Street had better not get me started on “exponential”—my TI trigger finger is itchy.

From Barron's • May 1, 2026

“I had better not pass my word: I might be obliged to break it.”

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

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