Showing results for "better"

• a variation of bettor.
• comparative of good.
• comparative of well.

better

¹ American  

[bet-er] / ˈbɛt ər /

adjective

1. of superior quality or excellence.

   a better coat; a better speech.

2. morally superior; more virtuous.

   They are no better than thieves.

3. of superior suitability, advisability, desirability, acceptableness, etc.; preferable.

   a better time for action.

4. larger; greater.

   the better part of a lifetime.

5. improved in health; healthier than before.

6. completely recovered in health.

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adverb

1. in a more appropriate or acceptable way or manner.

   to behave better.

2. to a greater degree; more completely or thoroughly.

   He knows the way better than we do. I probably know him better than anyone else.

3. more.

   I walked better than a mile to town.

verb (used with object)

betters, present (3rd person singular) bettered, past participle, past bettering present participle

1. to increase the good qualities of; make better; improve.

   to better one's grades;

   to better the lot of the suburban commuter.

   Synonyms:

   rectify, correct, reform, promote, advance, amend

2. to improve upon; surpass; exceed.

   We have bettered last year's production record.

3. Cards. to raise (a previous bid).

noun

1. that which has greater excellence or is preferable or wiser.

   the better of two choices.

2. Usually betters those superior to one in wisdom, wealth, etc.

idioms

1. better off,

   1. in better circumstances.

   2. more fortunate; happier.

      Because of his asthma, he would be better off in a different climate.

2. go (someone) one better, to exceed the effort of; be superior to.

   The neighbors went us one better by buying two new cars.

3. get / have the better of,

   1. to get an advantage over.

   2. to prevail against.

4. better oneself, to improve one's social standing, financial position, or education.

   He is going to night school because he wants to better himself.

5. for the better, in a way that is an improvement.

   His health changed for the better.

6. had better, would be wiser or more well-advised to; ought to.

   We had better stay indoors today.

7. think better of,

   1. to reconsider and decide more favorably or wisely regarding.

      I was tempted to make a sarcastic retort, but thought better of it.

   2. to form a higher opinion of.

      I think better of him now that he's gone back to college.

8. no better than one should be, morally inferior; immoral or amoral.

   Don't speak to him; he's no better than he should be!

better ² American  

[bet-er] / ˈbɛt ər /

noun

1. a variant of bettor.

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better ¹ British  

/ ˈbɛtə /

adjective

1. the comparative of good

2. more excellent than other members of a particular group, category, etc

3. more suitable, advantageous, attractive, etc

4. improved in health

5. fully recovered in health

6. in more favourable circumstances, esp financially

7. in more favourable circumstances, esp financially

8. a large part of

   the better part of a day

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adverb

1. the comparative of well 1

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

3. in or to a greater degree or extent; more

   she is better loved than her sister

4. (Brit intr; US tr) to outdo (a person) or improve upon (someone else's effort)

5. would be wise, sensible, etc to

   I had better be off

6. not to be so stupid as to

7. 1. to change one's course of action after reconsideration

   2. to rate (a person) more highly

noun

1. something that is the more excellent, useful, etc, of two such things

2. (usually plural) a person who is superior, esp in social standing or ability

3. improved as a result of

4. more suitable to

5. whatever the subsequent events or changes may be

6. by way of improvement

   a change for the better

7. to defeat, outwit, or surpass

8. having recovered from

   I'm not the better of it yet

verb

1. to make or become better

2. (tr) to improve upon; surpass

better ² British  

/ ˈbɛtə /

noun

1. a person who bets

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better More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing better

• against one's better judgment
• all better
• all the better
• best
• 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

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Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unbettered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• bettering
  present
• bettered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• better
  simple
• betters
  simple
• have bettered
  perfect
• has bettered
  perfect
• am bettering
  progressive
• are bettering
  progressive
• is bettering
  progressive
• have been bettering
  perfect progressive
• has been bettering
  perfect progressive

Past

• bettered
  simple
• had bettered
  perfect
• was bettering
  progressive
• were bettering
  progressive
• had been bettering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will better
  simple
• will have bettered
  perfect
• will be bettering
  progressive
• will have been bettering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of better¹

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 boot ² ) + -iza comparative suffix; see best

Origin of better²

bet ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

Something better is improved — like when a more advanced computer comes out, or you feel better after a cold. When we talk about things being better, we're comparing in a favorable way. A great movie is better than a good or awful movie. With practice, you will get better at a sport or a subject like math. Doctors help patients feel better, and mechanics make a car run better. If 51% or more of the people voted for you, then you had the support of better than half the people. When things are getting better, they're improving.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

better betters bettered bettering

As a community, you won’t find better people.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

She knows a court-determined settlement might produce a better outcome for her, as she has three children from her first marriage, and Dave has only one from his.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Those studios that submitted at least 14 titles were “offered better display treatment on the portal.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Milleri said a second generation of the products offering better performance would hit markets in mid-September.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

That’s his way of telling Grandma he missed her more than I did and that, in short, he’s a better grandchild.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

His betters resented Duchamp’s attempt at depicting movement and judged the title vulgar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

This week: Polymarket teamed up with the Golden Globes, displaying a live ticker for betters on the broadcast.

From Slate ● Jan. 17, 2026

Billions are riding on such sports event contracts, and it isn’t just the wagers of individual betters.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025

He will return to the top of the world rankings if he matches or betters Jannik Sinner's performance in New York.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2025

"Rowan held it up to me. I saw it myself. Am I, too, playing a trick on my betters, Bronden?"

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Among NL pitchers with at least 70 innings, his ERA is bettered only by Misiorowski.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

Against Morocco, he was only bettered by an extra 369 metres from Lewis Ferguson.

From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026

His joint record of 20 assists in a single Premier League season was only bettered this year by Manchester United's Fernandes.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

Yeboah bettered that in the 67th minute, taking advantage of another defensive breakdown to poke a pass from Tomás Chancalay at the left post by Marcinkowski.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2026

She was supposed to want to meet men, to keep her eyes open; she was supposed to see The General as an option that could be bettered.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

She said Chinese biotechs have “gotten very good with pretty-well-known targets—in bettering them, in really getting more precise.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

It would, however, take 20 years for Croatia to emerge from the group stage of a World Cup again, bettering the original golden generation by reaching the final in Russia in 2018.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

And not to the exclusion of bettering their lives by paying attention to the nitty and the gritty, like making housing and higher education more readily available and, yes, fixing potholes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2026

Henley “simultaneously attempted to create an air of legitimacy for the Big U Enterprise by promoting himself as a reformed gang member focused on bettering his community,” Roosa wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2025

At all these studies Ged was apt, and within a month was bettering lads who had been a year at Roke before him.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• advance
• beat
• correct
• enhance
• exceed
• excel
• raise
• surpass