better

English Online Dictionary. What means better‎? What does better mean?

English

Pronunciation

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

Etymology 1

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.

Adjective

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

1. comparative degree of good
2. comparative degree of well
3. Greater in amount or quantity
4. Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.

5. Healed or recovered from an injury or illness.

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Jamaican Creole: beta

Translations

Adverb

better

1. comparative degree of well

Derived terms

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

Translations

Noun

better (plural betters)

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

Derived terms

• get the better of

Etymology 2

Shortening of had better ('d better)

Verb

better

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

Usage notes

• 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.

See also

• best

Etymology 3

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”).

Verb

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

1. (transitive) To improve.
2. (intransitive) To become better; to improve.
3. (transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
4. (transitive) To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:improve

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 4

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

Noun

better (plural betters)

1. Alternative spelling of bettor

References

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

Central Franconian

Alternative forms

• botter, bötter (Eifel)

Etymology

From Old High German bittar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbetʌ/

Adjective

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.

Middle English

Etymology 1

Adjective

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

Adverb

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

Noun

better

1. Alternative form of bettre

Etymology 2

Verb

better

1. Alternative form of beteren

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English bettre, from Old English betera.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɛtər]

Adjective

better

1. comparative degree of guid

Derived terms

Adverb

better (comparative mair better, superlative maist better)

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

Noun

better (uncountable)

1. that which is better, something better or superior

Verb

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

1. to better, improve

West Frisian

Adjective

better

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