better

== English == === Pronunciation === (non-rhotic) IPA(key): /ˈbɛt.ə/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): [ˈbɛtʰ.ə] (General Australian) IPA(key): [ˈbeɾ.ə] (New Zealand) IPA(key): [ˈbeɾ.ɐ] (UK, t-glottalization) IPA(key): [ˈbeʔ.ə] (Dublin) IPA(key): [ˈbɛʔ.ɐ] (rhotic) IPA(key): /ˈbɛt.əɹ/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): [ˈbɛɾ.ɚ] (Ireland) IPA(key): [ˈbɛtʰ.ɚ~ˈbɛθ̠.ɚ~ˈbɛt̪.ɚ] (Scotland) IPA(key): [ˈbɛʔ.ɚ~ˈbɛʔ.əɾ] 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. False cognate of Persian بهتر (behtar). ==== Adjective ==== better (positive good, adverb well, comparative (humorous) betterer, superlative (humorous) betterest, or (standard) best) comparative form of good: more good comparative form of well: more well Greater in amount or quantity Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc. Healed or recovered from an injury or illness. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → Jamaican Creole: beta ===== Translations ===== ==== Adverb ==== better comparative form of well: more well ===== Derived terms ===== better the devil you know had better 'd better bettern't ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== better (plural betters) 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 (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) (transitive) To improve. (intransitive) To become better; to improve. (transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel. Synonym: top (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) Alternative spelling of bettor. === References === “better”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “better”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →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) (most dialects) bitter Proverb: Mösse es e better Krock. ― To be obliged is a bitter herb. == Middle English == === Etymology 1 === ==== Adjective ==== better alternative form of bettre ==== Adverb ==== better alternative form of bettre ==== Noun ==== better alternative form of bettre === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== better alternative form of beteren == Scots == === Etymology === From Middle English bettre, from Old English betera. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈbɛtər] === Adjective === better comparative degree of guid ==== Derived terms ==== === Adverb === better (comparative mair better, superlative maist better) better quite recovered from illness more than === Noun === better (uncountable) that which is better, something better or superior === Verb === better (third-person singular simple present betters, present participle betterin, simple past and past participle bettert) to better, improve == West Frisian == === Adjective === better inflection of goed: predicative comparative degree indefinite neuter singular comparative degree