better
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: note: non-rhotic
ipa: /ˈbɛt.ə/
ipa: [ˈbɛtʰ.ə]
ipa: [ˈbeɾ.ə]
ipa: [ˈbeɾ.ɐ]
note: UK, t-glottalization
ipa: [ˈbeʔ.ə]
note: Dublin
ipa: [ˈbɛʔ.ɐ]
note: rhotic
ipa: /ˈbɛt.əɹ/
ipa: [ˈbɛɾ.ɚ]
ipa: [ˈbɛtʰ.ɚ~ˈbɛθ̠.ɚ~ˈbɛt̪.ɚ]
ipa: [ˈbɛʔ.ɚ~ˈbɛʔ.əɾ]
rhymes: -ɛtə(ɹ)
Forms: form: good
form: well
form: betterer
form: betterest
form: best
Etymology: 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.
Senses: examples: text: How are you? ~ A little better, thanks.
text: Badger: You think you're better than other people.
Mal: Just the ones I'm better than.
ref: 2002 November 1, “Shindig”, in Firefly, episode 4:
glosses: comparative form of good: more good
glosses: comparative form of well: more well
examples: text: “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.”
ref: 1972, Harvey Andrews, Hey Sandy:
glosses: Greater in amount or quantity
examples: raw_tags: better = greater
text: The top electric vehicles have a range of 300 kilometres or better.
raw_tags: better = lesser
text: Only one swimmer finished the race with a time better than two minutes.
glosses: Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
examples: text: We can't go to the zoo today because you're sick; let's go when you're all better.
glosses: Healed or recovered from an injury or illness.
Derived terms: against one's better judgment
all to the better
an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure
an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure
are you feeling better
better and better
better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
better angels
better angels of one's nature
better angels of someone's nature
better ball
better Dead than Red
better dead than red
better dead than Red
better for it
betterfy
better half
betterhood
betterish
better is the enemy of good
better-known
better known as
better late than never
better light
better luck next time
better nature
betterness
better off
better one word in time than two afterwards
better-paid
better part of
better place
better safe than sorry
bettership
bettersome
better than a kick in the teeth
better than a poke in the eye
better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick
better than a poke in the eye with a rusty nail
better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick
better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick
better than nothing
better than sex
better the devil you know than the devil you don't
better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
better the devil you know than the one you don't
better the devil you know than the one you don't know
better to be late than be dead on time
better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
better to light one candle than to curse the darkness
better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness
build a better mousetrap
discretion is the better part of valor
discretion is the better part of valour
do someone one better
embetter
for better or for worse
for better or worse
for the better
get better
go one better
half a loaf is better than no bread
half a loaf is better than no loaf
half a loaf is better than none
have seen better days
I couldn't have said it better myself
it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive
it's better to ask forgiveness than permission
it's better to be judged by twelve than to be carried by six
know any better
know better
make a better door than a window
no better than one ought to be
prevention is better than cure
something is better than nothing
so much the better
strictly better
take a turn for the better
the better is the enemy of the good
the devil we know is better than the devil we don't
the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know
the devil you know is better than the devil you don't
the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know
the fewer the better fare
the grey mare is the better horse
think better of
two heads are better than one
work better under pressure
you better believe it