better
better
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "better" is /ˈbɛtər/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
First Syllable (/ˈbɛ/):
/b/: Voiced bilabial plosive
/ɛ/: Open-mid front unrounded vowel
Second Syllable (/tər/):
/t/: Voiceless alveolar plosive (often realized as a flap [ɾ] in American English, making it /ɾər/)
/ər/: R-colored vowel (schwa + r-sound)
Word Form Variations
"Better" is primarily an adjective and an adverb, serving as the comparative form of "good" and "well," respectively. It also functions as a verb and a noun.
Adjective:
Positive: good
Comparative: better
Superlative: best
Adverb:
Positive: well
Comparative: better
Superlative: best
Verb:
Base form: better
Third-person singular present: betters
Present participle: bettering
Past tense: bettered
Past participle: bettered
Noun:
Singular: better
Plural: betters
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Possessing superior quality, excellence, or desirability compared to another.
Example: "The new phone has a better camera than the old one."
Synonyms: superior, finer, improved, preferred
Antonyms: worse, inferior, poorer
More suitable, advantageous, or effective for a particular purpose or situation.
Example: "It would be better to leave early to avoid traffic."
Synonyms: more appropriate, more beneficial, more fitting, more effective
Antonyms: worse, less suitable, less advantageous
In improved health or a more favorable physical or mental state.
Example: "After a good night's sleep, I feel much better."
Synonyms: healthier, recovered, improved, well (in this context)
Antonyms: worse, sicker, poorer (health)
Adverb
To a greater degree or extent; more effectively or successfully.
Example: "She performed better in the second half of the game."
Synonyms: more, more effectively, more successfully, more ably
Antonyms: worse, less, less effectively
With greater skill, precision, or understanding.
Example: "You should listen better to instructions."
Synonyms: more carefully, more accurately, more attentively
Antonyms: worse, less carefully, less accurately
Verb
To improve or make something superior in quality, condition, or effectiveness.
Example: "He is always looking for ways to better himself."
Synonyms: improve, enhance, ameliorate, upgrade, advance
Antonyms: worsen, degrade, impair, damage
To surpass or exceed someone or something in achievement or quality.
Example: "She hoped to better her previous record in the race."
Synonyms: surpass, exceed, outdo, excel, top
Antonyms: fall short of, be inferior to, be worse than
Noun
One who is superior in position, quality, or ability; a superior. (Often used in the plural "betters.")
Example: "Children should show respect to their betters."
Synonyms: superiors, elders, seniors, higher-ups
Antonyms: inferiors, subordinates, juniors
An improvement or something that is better than another. (Less common as a standalone noun, more often in phrases like "for the better.")
Example: "The changes were definitely for the better."
Synonyms: improvement, upgrade, advancement, amelioration
Antonyms: worsening, degradation, setback
Examples of Use
Books:
"We can choose to be afraid of the future and hide in the past, or we can step forward with courage and make it better." (Sheryl Sandberg, Option B, April 2017)
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. 'My dear Mr. Bennet,' said his lady to him one day, 'have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?' Mr. Bennet replied that he had not. 'But it is,' returned she; 'for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.' Mr. Bennet made no answer. 'Do you not want to know who has taken it?' cried his wife impatiently. 'You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.' This was invitation enough. 'Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it, that he took it immediately; and as he is unmarried, he is likely to be a very good thing for our girls.' 'Is that his design in settling here?' 'Design! Nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very true, Mrs. Long says, that he is much delighted with it. He is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.' 'And is he married or single?' 'Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; what a fine thing for our girls!' 'Indeed, I think he had better marry one of them himself, my dear Mr. Bennet,' said his wife." (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, January 1813)
Newspapers:
"The government has promised to do better in addressing the rising cost of living." (The Standard)
"Experts suggest that investing in renewable energy sources will lead to a better future for the planet." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"How to make your remote work setup better for productivity." (Forbes.com)
"Artificial intelligence has the potential to make our lives better, but ethical considerations must be paramount." (Wired.com)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "Here's looking at you, kid." "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." "We'll always have Paris." "Round up the usual suspects." "Here's mud in your eye." "Go ahead and shoot. You'll only kill a man." "Don't you understand? You'll be doing a better service to the world by remaining here." (Dialogue from Casablanca, January 1943)
Television Series: "It's going to get better." (Common phrase used for comfort or reassurance in many dramas, e.g., Grey's Anatomy, frequently throughout its run)
Music: "I feel good, I knew that I would now / I feel good, I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / I feel good, I knew that I would now / I feel good, I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / Hey, hey, I feel good / I knew that I would now / I feel good, I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / Hey, hey, hey / Oh, I feel good, I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / Whoa! / Whoa! / Hey, hey! / Whoa! / Whoa! / Hey, hey! / Hey, hey! / Whoa! / Whoa! / Oh, I feel good, I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / Hey, hey, hey / Oh, I feel good, I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / Hey, hey, hey / Now I feel good, I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / Yeah! / Oh, I feel good / I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / Hey, hey, hey / Now I feel good, I knew that I would now / So good, so good, I got you / Yeah! / Yeah! / Yeah! / Whoa! / Whoa! / Yeah! / Yeah! / Yeah! / Yeah! / Whoa! / Whoa! / Yeah! / Yeah! / Yeah! / I feel good." "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (James Brown, September 1965 – the title itself implies a feeling of being "better" due to having someone.)
Podcast: "In this episode, we explore how small habits can lead to better long-term health." (The Daily, The New York Times, June 2024)
Video Game: "Your accuracy needs to be better if you want to complete this mission." (Common dialogue in tutorial or feedback sections of games, e.g., Call of Duty series, various releases)
General Public Discourse:
"We need to do better as a society to protect our environment." (Heard in public speeches and discussions, ongoing)
"I hope you feel better soon!" (Common well-wishing phrase)
"This coffee tastes much better with milk." (Everyday conversation)
"Can we find a better solution to this problem?" (Discussions in meetings or problem-solving scenarios)
10 Quotes Using Better
"It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness." (Chinese Proverb)
"And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." (Steve Jobs, Stanford University Commencement Address, June 2005)
"When you know better, do better." (Maya Angelou)
"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both." (Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, 1532)
"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week." (George S. Patton)
"It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." (Carl Sagan, Cosmos, 1980)
"It's better to be a lion for a day than a sheep all your life." (Elizabeth Kenny)
"The better part of valor is discretion." (William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1)
"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change." (Michael Jackson, "Man in the Mirror" lyrics, 1987)
"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." (Alfred Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam A.H.H., 1850)
Etymology
The word "better" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots all the way back to ancient Germanic languages. It's essentially the comparative form of "good" and "well," meaning "more good" or "more well."
Old English Roots: The word comes from the Old English word "betera." This word already functioned as a comparative adjective and adverb, meaning "superior," "more excellent," or "more advantageous." It was also used to mean "healthier" or "recovered."
Proto-Germanic Ancestor: Before Old English, "betera" evolved from a Proto-Germanic word, likely something like "batizōn." This ancient root is connected to words meaning "good," "advantageous," or "profitable." The idea was always about improvement or a higher quality.
First Known Use and Meaning: While pinpointing the absolute "first" use of a word that old is tricky, we can say that forms of "better" have been in continuous use in English and its linguistic ancestors for well over a thousand years. Its core meaning of "superior in quality, degree, or condition" has remained remarkably consistent. When it first appeared in Old English, it carried these exact senses: being better than something else in terms of quality, health, or advantage.
So, in simple terms, "better" has always meant "more good" or "more improved," and its origins are deeply embedded in the very early stages of the English language.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Better
Better late than never: It's better to do something late than not at all.
For better or for worse: Regardless of whether things improve or get worse.
All the better: Even more desirable or advantageous.
Get the better of (someone/something): To defeat or overcome someone or something.
The better part of: The majority or greater portion of something.
Think better of: To reconsider a decision and change it, usually to a wiser one.
Change for the better: To improve; to undergo a positive transformation.
Know better than to: To be wise enough not to do something.
Had better: Should; ought to; indicating strong advice or a warning.
A better safe than sorry: It's wiser to be cautious and take precautions than to regret an oversight later.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of better from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
