Forms: 1–2 betera, 1–4 betere, 3–4 betre, 3–6 bettre, 4 beter, bettar, -ur, -yr, 4–5 bettir, 5 bettere, bettyrer (Cath. Angl.). [Com. Teut.: OE. (sing. masc.) bętera = OFris. betera, OS. betiro (Du. beter-, OHG. beȥiro, mod.G. besser-e), Goth. batiza:—OTeut. *batiz-on-, used as the compar. of gôdo-z GOOD, but itself pointing to a positive stem extant in no Teutonic lang., and prob. wanting also in OTeut. The root bat- was prob. related to bôt-: see BEET v. and BOOR v. Fick and Kluge have compared Skr. bhadrá-s salutary, benign.]
A. adj. The comparative degree of GOOD (which see for phrases and idiomatic uses in which the force of better corresponds with that of the positive adj.): more good.
1. As simple adjective.
2. Of greater excellence, of superior quality.
a. Said of persons, in respect of physical, mental, or esp. moral qualities; also, of social standing.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., IV. ix. § 6. Þæt hie þa wæron beteran þeʓnas þonne hie nu sien.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Kings ii. 32. He slewȝ two riȝtwise men betere than hym self.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., V. iv. 104. I could haue better spar’d a better man.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. I. iii. 38. Fat men, as the Northerne, are better men then those who are leane, as the Southerne men be.
1632. Massinger, City Madam, III. iii. Be confident your better angel is Entered your house.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 164, ¶ 6. Looking upon my self as no better than a dead Man.
1856. Halliwell, Shaks., V. 323. A person who exceeds another in wealth is said to be a better man than the other.
1882. J. Morison, Macaulay, 105. They are all no better than they should be.
b. Said of things, in respect of their essential qualities.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 19. To ȝiuen ham stude & betere nome þen sunen & dohtren.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2363. Ȝee sal weind til a better land. Ibid., 12088. Till bettir theues þu suld him wune.
1485. Caxton, Paris & V., 33. Yf the sayd Iewellys were better the half than they be.
c. 1550. Bale, K. Johan (1838), 73. Lyke Lorde, lyke chaplayne, neyther barrell better herynge.
a. 1555. Ridley, Wks., 130. Oftentimes the greater part overcometh the better.
1611. Cotgr., A bon iour bon œuvre … as we say, the better day the better work.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1754), 9. Coaches fill’d with People of the better Sort.
1823. Byron, Island, III. ii. Their better feelings, if such were, were thrown Back on themselves.
a. 1847. Mrs. Sherwood, Lady of M., III. xix. 86. The poor woman had been accustomed to what is called better life.
2. Of persons and things: More profitable, useful, or suitable for a purpose; more eligible or desirable. Of persons: Kinder, more beneficent.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 17. Betere hit is þet heo beon ispilled.
1297. R. Glouc., 367. So þat after betere wynd hii moste þere at stonde.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., B. Prol. 195. Better is a litel losse þan a longe sorwe.
[1375. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 138. Þe more þat an herd is lyke to Crist he is þe better … in his office.
1394. P. Pl. Crede, 762. A great bolle-ful of benen · were betere in his wombe.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., I. i. 159. I must goe send some better Messenger. Ibid., II. i. 145. Oh excellent deuise, was there euer heard a better?
1615. Latham, Falconry (1633), 136. There is not a more better thing for any new swelling.
1703. Rowe, Fair Penit., I. i. 7. Thy better Stars Are join’d to shed their kindest Influence on thee.
1810. Henry, Elem. Chem. (1826), II. 532. We have much better indicators of both these acids.
3. Of greater amount: a. More. b. Larger, greater; esp. in better half, part, etc.
a. 1587. Fleming, Cont. Holinshed, III. 1382/2. Woorth one hundred and twentie pounds and better.
1603. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw., 129. Able to furnish better then ten thousand men with horse.
1630. Wadsworth, Sp. Pilgr., iii. 15. Vntill nine and better they are exercised in repeating.
1679. Plot, Staffordsh. (1686), 239. The bodies … being better than an inch long.
1769. Gray, in N. Nicholls’ Corr. (1843), 87. It is better than three weeks since I wrote to you.
1823. Scott, Peveril, vii. Pursued by half a score of horsemen and better.
1823. Lamb, Some old Actors, Elia, 399. I think it is now better than five-and-twenty years ago.
b. 1580. Sidney, Arcadia, III. 334. I … shall thinke the better halfe of it alreadie atchieued.
1586. Cogan, Haven Health (1636), 60. Let it boile untill the better part of the liquour be consumed.
1667. Marvell, Corr., xxxvi. Wks. 1872–5, II. 81. Your businesse is the better-halfe done.
1707. Freind, Peterborow’s Cond. Sp., 197. That the Forces shou’d be divided, and the better half march immediately into Valencia.
1739. Swift, Lett., Wks. 1745, VIII. 376. Forced to sell the better half of his estate.
1805. Wordsw., Prel., V. (1850), 130. For the better part Of two delightful hours we strolled along.
c. Hence, Better half: orig. my better half, the more than half of my being; said of a very close and intimate friend (cf. ‘the better part of me’ Shaks.; ‘meæ partem animæ,’ ‘animae dimidium meæ’ Hornce; ‘animæ partem … nostræ majorem’ Statius); esp. (after Sidney) used for ‘my husband’ or ‘wife’; now, jocularly appropriated to the latter. Formerly also applied to the soul, as the better part of man.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia, III. 280. [Argalus to Parthenia, his wife] My deare, my better halfe (sayd hee) I find I must now leaue thee.
[c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xxxix. 2. When thou art all the better part of me.
1646. Buck, Rich. III., II. 61. As if his [Richard’s] body must suffer more, because they could not kill his better part.]
1709. J. Stevens, Quevedo’s Wks., 33. [A woman to her husband] Thou dear better-half of my soul.
a. 1720. Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.), Wks. (1753), I. 274. My dear and better half is out of danger.
1742. R. Blair, Grave, 733. The lag flesh Rests, in hope of meeting once again Its better half [the soul].
1842. T. Martin, My Namesake, in Fraser’s Mag., Dec., 649/2. I … shall look out for a better half forthwith.
4. In the predicate, after be, the neuter adj. formerly interchanged with the adv. bet, and its grammatical character is still dubious: the positive of ‘it is better to go’ may be either ‘it is good’ or ‘it is well.’ Cf. BET adv. 2. The dubiety is still greater in elliptical expressions, as in quot. 1553, 1667, 1837. See below, B 3.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxviii. § 7. Hit is betere þæt mon wreʓe þone scyldiʓan.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Mark ix. 43. Betere þe is þæt þu wanhal to life ga.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 49. Betre hit is þet mon ne iknawe noht þe wei.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 180. You is better hyde youre counseil in youre herte.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur (1817), I. 242. Whether is me better to treate with Kynge Arthur, or to fyghte.
a. 1553. Udall, Roister D. (Arb.), 81. Better (they say) a badde scuse than none.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 263. Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heav’n.
1821. Keats, Isabel, xi. Better had it been for ever so.
1837. J. H. Newman, Par. Serm., I. iii. 44. Better be a little too strict than a little too easy.
b. In the idiomatic I, we, you, he, etc., had better, the original construction was me, us, etc., were betere (or bet) = it would be more advantageous for me, etc. (Cf. me is betere, etc., in 4.) The dat. pronoun was subsequently changed into the nominative, I, we, were better (perh. because in sbs. the two cases were no longer distinguished). Finally this was given up for the current I had better = I should have or hold it better, to do, etc. (Mr. F. Hall has shown that in these changes, better followed in the main the analogy of liefer and rather.) See HAVE.
971. Blickl. Hom., 25. Him wære betere þæt he næfre ʓeboren nære.
c. 1160. Hatton Gosp., Mark ix. 42. Betere him wære þæt [he] wære on sæ ʓeworpen.
a. 1320. Maximon, in Rel. Antiq., I. 122. Betere me were ded þen þus alyve to be.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 241. Him were better go beside.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, 31. Hem were beter take the furre.
1465. Marg. Paston, Lett., 534, II. 250. The Duck [= duke] had be beter … that it had never be don.
c. 1370. K. Robt. Cicyle, 55. Bettur he were … So to do then for hunger dye.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur (1816), I. 33. Ye were better to give me a gift … than to lose great riches.
1594. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., 512. We were better to support the domesticall imperfections of our brethren.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. ii. 27. She were better loue a dreame.
[c. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 1186. Better he had to have be away.]
1537. Thersytes, Four O. Plays (1848), 69. They had better haue set me an errande at Rome.
1594. Harington, in Nugæ Ant. (1804), I. 168. Who livethe for ease had better live awaie [from Court].
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., V. iii. 132. He had better starue Then but once thinke his place becomes thee not.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 15. I had better begin by asking you a question.
c. To be better (in health, estate, etc.): see B 4.
5. Phrases. † (To have) the better hand: i.e., ‘the upper hand,’ the superiority. To be better than one’s word: to do more than one has promised. Better cheap: see CHEAP sb.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxv. 272. The marques … had the better hande.
1587. Whetstone, Cens. loy. Subj. (Collier), 30. Q. Marie … had the better hand against her rebels.
1684. T. Burnet, Th. Earth, II. 167. God may be better than His word.
Mod. I have usually found him better than his word.
II. absol. passing into a substantive.
6. absol. Something better; that which is better.
1535. Coverdale, Heb. vi. 9. We trust to se better of you [Wyclif, We tristen of ȝou betere thingis].
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., III. v. 50. I never look’d for better at his hands.
1699. Dryden, Fables, Pref. If I have altered him any where for the better.
1879. Geo. Eliot, Coll. Breakf. P., 485. A possible Better in the seeds of earth. Ibid., Theo. Such, ii. 51. They feed the ideal Better.
7. sb. with possessive pron.: One’s superior: a. in some personal quality or attainment; b. in rank or station. In the latter sense, now only in the plural, which was however from 16th to 18th c. often applied to a single person.
a. c. 1325. Coer de L., 1650. In al Yngelond was non hys beter.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (1531), 88. To be instructe and taught of my better.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. ii. 140. His better doth not breath vpon the earth.
1859. Tennyson, Vivien, 349. To help herself By striking at her better.
b. [c. 1205. Lay., 3749. Heora sunen … þa weren hire beteren.]
1432–50. trans. Higden, Rolls Ser. IV. 325. Ȝiffenge not contrarious wordes and answeres to their betters.
c. 1500. in Babees Bk. (1868), 25. When thi better spekes to the Do offe thi cape & bow þi kne.
1549. Bk. Com. Prayer, Catech., To ordre myself lowely and reuerently to al my betters.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., II. iv. 68. Cor. Who cals? Clo. Your betters Sir.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 266, ¶ 4. A Squire or a Gentleman, or one that was her Betters.
1742. Fielding, J. Andrews, IV. i. I look upon myself as his betters.
1866. Kingsley, Herew., xiv. 182. She will grow as proud as her betters.
8. The better: the superiority or mastery; now chiefly in To get the better of. Also fig. (Cf. BEST 9 a.)
1461. Paston Lett., 396, II. 21. The blyssyd Trinite … send yow the better of all your adversariis.
1586. Warner, Alb. Eng., III. xvii. 79. Little wanted that the Brutes the better did not win.
1630. M. Godwyn, Annales Eng., 197. We alwayes came of with the better.
1660. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 10/2. Sometimes the Medes had the better of the Lydians.
1675. Hobbes, Odyssey, VIII. 320. The slow has gotten of the swift the better.
1718. Hickes & Nelson, J. Kettlewell, 55 App. The worst Causes are likely to have the better, at this way of Reasoning.
1839. Thirlwall, Greece, VI. xlviii. 137. Prudence … got the better of his pride.
† 9. With the better: with addition; and more. Obs.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 163. When his father was 62 yeares old with the better.
1690. W. Walker, Idiom. Anglo-Lat., 333. To pay what one hath borrowed with the better.
B. adv.
[The original adverbial form was BET, which survived till 1600. See that word as to its gradual displacement by better.]
1. In a more excellent way, in a superior manner.
c. 1240. Lofsong, in Lamb. Hom., 215. Þu wult … don betere bi me þen is þet ich wilni.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1585. Ða salt ðe betre sped.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 95. Fond to don betere.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 26. Mak hem to drede synne & to do bettar.
1530. Palsgr., 147. I drinke better than I syng.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 194. The better to come at it with the Tool.
1797. Ld. Nelson, in Duncan, Life (1806), 44. The sooner the better.
Mod. Until he learns to behave better.
2. In a superior degree.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 4. Aðet he hefde betere biþoht him.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 37. Þat ha … witen þe beter hwat ham beo to don.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2438. He loued hir … better þan he did are.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XIX. 8083. For to hold hym in hope, & hert hym the bettur.
1471. Paston Lett., 681, III. 23. That shall dysse avayll him better than a CC. marc.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 77 b. They had him better in grace than zethephius.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb. (1586), 65. Where-by it [sage] prospereth the better.
1666. Bunyan, Grace Ab., ¶ 50. I better considering the matter.
1771. Junius Lett., lii. 266. I know that man much better than any of you.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Engl., I. 435. But there were in the palace a few persons who knew better.
† b. Rather. Obs.
c. 1340. Cursor M. (Laud MS.), 9815. His hert ought bettyr breke in iije Then fro his byddynges to fle.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 17 b. He semed better a thing of that other worlde thenne an humayne persone.
1801. Southey, Life (1850), II. 168. He … prefers books better than official papers.
c. More, in addition. arch. and dial.
1538. Bale, Thre Lawes, 1351. He swore, and better swore, yea he did sweare and sweare agayne.
1830. G. P. R. James, Darnley, vii. 36/2. On this he wondered, and better wondered.
3. In the predicate, after be, the adv. and adj. run together: see A 4. In some cases the adverbial character seems more prominent.
1570–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), II. 75. I will here (being better late than never) set down this.
4. To be better: to be improved in health, esp. of convalescence after an illness. (In northern use, to be well again, as in quite better, quite well again, fully recovered.) To get better: to amend, recover. (The orig. const. was ‘him is bet or better,’ i.e., it is better to or with him. See WELL.)
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., John iv. 52. Ða acsode he, to hwylcum timan him bet wære.
c. 1160. Hatton G., ibid. Hym bet wære [Lindisf. & Rushw., þæt betre hæfde = Vulg. melius habuerit; 1382 Wyclif, He axide of hem the our, in which he hadde betere, 1388 was amended; 1611 began to amend.]
1686. J. Davies, in R. Ward, Life H. More (1710), 215. He had been let Blood, and seem’d after it much better than before.
1745. Shaftesb., in Lett. 1st Earl Malmesbury (1870), I. 9. Poor Handel looks something better.
1771. Johnson, in Mrs. Piozzi’s Lett. (1788), I. 42. Dr. Taylor is better, and is gone out in the chaise.
1863. T. Thompson, Ann. Influenza, 95. [He] was blooded and got better, went abroad got well.
1872. Geo. Eliot, Middlem. (1875), 587. She is better this morning, and … she will be cheered by seeing you again.
† b. To be the better: to be profited or advantaged. arch. and dial.
1619. J. Dyke, Counterp. (1620), 37. What are we the better to know our disease? Ibid. (a. 1620), Sel. Serm. (1640), 282. What is man the better for eating the Sacrament, if hee eate not Christ?
Mod. Sc. What the better would you be, if you had it?
5. Comb. With adjs. and pples.: usually (for syntactical clearness) written with a hyphen. a. With past and pres. pples. as compar. of WELL: as, better-advised, -affected, -balanced, -behaved, -born, -considered, -dressed, -informed, -regulated, -seasoned, etc.; better-becoming, -knowing, -liking, -looking; sometimes approaching the sense ‘more fully, more.’ b. In parasynthetic comb. formed on a sb. with attribute; as, better-humo(u)red, i.e. (better humo(u)r) + -ed; so better-natured, -omened, -principled, -witted, etc.
1609. Newes, in Shaks. C. Praise, 87. And have parted better-wittied then they came.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Countr. Farme, 549. To resort to the better-knowing husbands.
1677. Govt. Venice, 23. Such Gentlemen … as thereby become better-affected to the Venetian Nobility.
1680. Spir. Popery, 48. A great, and better Principled Lady.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 142. For Empire he design’d Is better born.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac., I. 254. His better-humour’d and more agreeable successor. Ibid., I. 310. Growing better-natur’d, and enjoying more … the pleasures of society.
1792. Bentham, Wks. (1843), X. 276. There was not a better-behaved young woman in the whole parish.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, x. Neglecting the minor and better-balanced chances of the game. Ibid. (1820), Abbot, xxiii. To cumber our better-advised devotions.
1826. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), II. 113. His awe of better-dressed men and better-taught men.
1827. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), I. 2. Richter was much better-natured than Johnson.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple (1863), 95. I was by far the better-looking chap of the two.
1854. Mrs. Gaskell, North & S., v. To learn his change of opinion … from her better-informed child.
1856. Farmer’s Mag., Nov., 431. A more matured and better-considered measure.
1860. Gen. P. Thompson, Audi Alt., III. clxxi. 198. The move of a better-omened man.
6. Phrases. To think better of: a. (a thing); to give it reconsideration with the result of deciding more wisely. b. (a person): to form a better opinion of him.
1607. Shaks., Cor., II. iii. 15. To make us no better thought of, a little helpe will serve.
1752. Bp. Warburton, Lett. Emin. Prel. (1809), 116. I resolved to be prepared for them (who, by the way, thought better of it.
1812. Examiner, 21 Sept., 596/1. The enemy’s General thought better of it,—beat a retreat.
1884. J. Hawthorne, in Harper’s Mag., Feb., 430/1. The … gentleman seems to have thought better of his contrariness.
Mod. I think better of him for his present conduct.
7. Better off, comp. of well off: see OFF.
