better
noun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L316957 on Wikidata ↗verb
- to improve on
adverb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L333557 on Wikidata ↗adjective
- generally positive: morally good, pleasing; uses that mean 'well' go into a different roleset.
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈbɛt.ə/ / [ˈbɛtʰ.ə] / [ˈbeɾ.ə]
adj
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 Dutch beter, German besser, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål bedre, Norwegian Nynorsk betre, Swedish bättre, Faroese and Icelandic betri. Also Sanskrit भ॒द्र (bhadrá, “blessed; fortunate; happy; good”) (from *bʰn̥d-ró-s). 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).
- comparative degree of good and well
“How are you? ~ A little better, thanks.”
“Badger: You think you're better than other people. Mal: Just the ones I'm better than.”
- Greater in amount or quantity
““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.””
- 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.”
“Only one swimmer finished the race with a time better than two minutes.”
- 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.”
adv
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 Dutch beter, German besser, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål bedre, Norwegian Nynorsk betre, Swedish bättre, Faroese and Icelandic betri. Also Sanskrit भ॒द्र (bhadrá, “blessed; fortunate; happy; good”) (from *bʰn̥d-ró-s). 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).
- comparative form of well: more well
“The engine runs better now that I've given it some oil.”
“I could never better stead thee than now.[…]”
noun
Etymology: Alternative spelling of bettor or modern formation from the verb to bet + -er.
- Alternative spelling of bettor.
verb
Etymology: 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”).
- To improve.
“This government will better our society.”
“Love betters what is best.”
- To become better; to improve.
- To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
“The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered.”
- To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
“Weapons more violent, when next we meet, / May serve to better us and worse our foes.”