Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [bet-er]
- /ˈbɛt ər/
- /ˈbetə(r)/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [bet-er]
- /ˈbɛt ər/
Definitions of better word
- noun better Better is the comparative of good. 3
- noun better Better is the comparative of well2. 3
- adverb better If you like one thing better than another, you like it more. 3
- adjective better If you are better after an illness or injury, you have recovered from it. If you feel better, you no longer feel so ill. 3
- phrase better You use had better or 'd better when you are advising, warning, or threatening someone, or expressing an opinion about what should happen. 3
- phrase better In spoken English, people sometimes use better without 'had' or 'be' before it. It has the same meaning. 3
Information block about the term
Origin of better
First appearance:
before 900 One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English bettre, Old English bet(t)(e)ra; cognate with Old High German bezziro (German besser), Dutch beter, Old Norse betr, Gothic batiza, equivalent to bat- (cognate with Old High German baz (adv.) better; akin to boot2) + -iza comparative suffix; suggested relation to Sanskrit bhadrá- “fortunate” is doubtful. See best
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Better
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
better popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
better usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for better
verb better
- advance — To advance means to move forward, often in order to attack someone.
- raise — to move to a higher position; lift up; elevate: to raise one's hand; sleepy birds raising their heads and looking about.
- beat — If you beat someone or something, you hit them very hard.
- surpass — to go beyond in amount, extent, or degree; be greater than; exceed.
- correct — If something is correct, it is in accordance with the facts and has no mistakes.
Antonyms for better
verb better
- retreat — the forced or strategic withdrawal of an army or an armed force before an enemy, or the withdrawing of a naval force from action.
- decrease — When something decreases or when you decrease it, it becomes less in quantity, size, or intensity.
- block — A block of flats or offices is a large building containing them.
- harm — a U.S. air-to-surface missile designed to detect and destroy radar sites by homing on their emissions.
- hinder — to cause delay, interruption, or difficulty in; hamper; impede: The storm hindered our progress.
Top questions with better
- how to build a better boy?