better

• (non-rhotic) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛtə/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [ˈbɛtʰə]
  • (General Australian) IPA^(key): [ˈbeɾə]
  • (New Zealand) IPA^(key): [ˈbeɾɐ]
  • (UK dialects) IPA^(key): [ˈbeʔə]
• (rhotic) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛtəɹ/
  • (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): [ˈbɛɾɚ]

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  • (Ireland) IPA^(key): [ˈbɛtʰɚ~ˈbɛθ̠ɚ~ˈbɛt̪ɚ]
  • (Scotland) IPA^(key): [ˈbɛʔɚ~ˈbɛʔəɾ]
• Hyphenation: bet‧ter
• Rhymes: -ɛtə(ɹ)

From Middle English better, bettre, betre, from Old English betera (“better”), from Proto-West Germanic *batiʀō, from Proto-Germanic *batizô (“better”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰed-rós, from *bʰed- (“good”).

Cognate with Sanskrit भद्र (bhadrá, “blessed, fortunate, happy, good”) (from *bʰn̥d-ró-s). For Germanic cognates: see Proto-Germanic *batizô. Related to best and battle (“getting better, improving, fruitful, fertile”). Compare also Icelandic batna (“to improve”), bót (“improvement”), German besser. More at batten, boot.

Persian بهتر (behtar) is a false cognate.

better (positive good, adverb well, comparative (humorous) betterer, superlative (humorous) betterest, or (standard) best)

1. comparative degree of good
   • 2002 November 1, “Shindig”, in Firefly, episode 4:

     Badger: You think you're better than other people.
     Mal: Just the ones I'm better than.

2. comparative degree of well
3. Greater in amount or quantity
   • 1972, Harvey Andrews, Hey Sandy:

     “The air was still with the lonely thrill of 'now the hour is near'
     And the smell of sweat was better yet than the awful stench of fear.”

4. Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.

   The top electric vehicles have a range of 300 kilometres or better. (better = greater)

   Only one swimmer finished the race with a time better than two minutes. (better = lesser)

5. Healed or recovered from an injury or illness.

   We can't go to the zoo today because you're sick; let's go when you're all better.

• → Jamaican Creole: beta

better

1. comparative degree of well

   The engine runs better now that I've given it some oil.

   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

     I could never better stead thee than now. […]

   • 1901, Louis Couperus, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, Small Souls:

     “I’ve had enough of cycling with you chaps. I can spend my Sundays better than in tormenting cats and quarrelling and fighting.”

2. The template Template:rfc-sense does not use the parameter(s):

   2=this is a modal auxiliary verb, not an adverb

   Please see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.(Can we clean up⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (colloquial shortening) Had better.

   You better do that if you know what's good for you.

• better the devil you know
• had better
• 'd better
• bettern't

better (plural betters)

1. An entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.

   He quickly found Ali his better in the ring.

   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     Their betters would hardly be found.

• get the better of

Shortening of had better ('d better)

better

1. (modal, auxiliary verb, colloquial) Had better.

   It's getting late. You better get on home.

• Better in this sense has often been considered an adverb. But it is virtually synonymous with should in We better be going. and with ought to in We better go. Should and ought are auxiliary verbs.

• best

From Middle English beteren, from Old English beterian, betrian, from Proto-Germanic *batizōną. Cognate with West Frisian betterje (“to better”), Dutch beteren (“to better”), German bessern (“to better”), Danish bedre (“to better”), Swedish bättra (“to better”).

better (third-person singular simple present betters, present participle bettering, simple past and past participle bettered)

1. (transitive) To improve.

   This government will better this society

   • 1815, William Wordsworth, From the same (To the Supreme Being):

     Love betters what is best.

   • 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 2, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:

     He thought to better his circumstances.

   • 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 3, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:

     the constant effort of every man to better himself

2. (intransitive) To become better; to improve.
3. (transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
   • 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered.

4. (transitive) To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     Weapons more violent, when next we meet, / May serve to better us and worse our foes.

• See also Thesaurus:improve

Alternative spelling of bettor or modern formation from the verb to bet.

better (plural betters)

1. Alternative spelling of bettor

• “better”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “better”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

• botter, bötter (Eifel)

From Old High German bittar.

• IPA^(key): /ˈbetʌ/

better (masculine bettere, feminine better, comparative betterer, superlative et betterste)

1. (most dialects) bitter

   Proverb: Mösse es e better Krock. ― To be obliged is a bitter herb.

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

better

1. Alternative form of beteren

From Middle English bettre, from Old English betera.

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɛtər]

better

1. comparative degree of guid

better (comparative mair better, superlative maist better)

1. better
2. quite recovered from illness
3. more than

better (uncountable)

1. that which is better, something better or superior

better (third-person singular simple present betters, present participle betterin, simple past bettert, past participle bettert)

1. to better, improve

better

1. inflection of goed:
   1. predicative comparative degree
   2. indefinite neuter singular comparative degree