Word Meanings - BETTER - Book Publishers vocabulary database

bet, AS. betera, adj., and bet, adv.; akin to Icel. betri, adj., betr, adv., Goth. batiza, adj., OHG. bezziro, adj., baz, adv., G. besser, adj. and adv., bass, adv., E. boot, and prob. to Skr. bhadra 1. Having good qualities in a greater degree

Additional info about word: BETTER

bet, AS. betera, adj., and bet, adv.; akin to Icel. betri, adj., betr, adv., Goth. batiza, adj., OHG. bezziro, adj., baz, adv., G. besser, adj. and adv., bass, adv., E. boot, and prob. to Skr. bhadra 1. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; as, a better man; a better physician; a better house; a better air. Could make the worse appear The better reason. Milton. 2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness, acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect. To obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Sam. xv. 22. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. Ps. cxviii. 9. 3. Greater in amount; larger; more. 4. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the patient is better. 5. More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance; a better knowledge of the subject. All the better. See under All, adv. -- Better half, an expression used to designate one's wife. My dear, my better half , I find I must now leave thee. Sir P. Sidney. -- To be better off, to be in a better condition. -- Had better. . Note: The phrase had better, followed by an infinitive without to, is idiomatic. The earliest form of construction was "were better" with a dative; as, "Him were better go beside." i. e., It would be better for him, etc. At length the nominative supplanted the dative and had took the place of were. Thus we have the construction now used. By all that's holy, he had better starve Than but once think this place becomes thee not. Shak.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of BETTER)

• Ameliorate
• Improve
• raise
• better
• advantage
• promote
• advance
• amend
• rectify
• meliorate
• Amend
• mend
• repair
• correct
• ameliorate
• reform
• Mend
• Repair
• restore
• improve
• Reclaim
• Reform
• recal
• recover
• regain
• rescue
• convert
• Rectify
• Straighten
• a need
• adjust
• emend
• redress
• regulate
• rearrange
• remodel

Possible antonyms: (opposite words of BETTER)

• Retard
• hinder
• withhold
• withdraw
• recall
• depress
• degrade
• suppress
• oppose
• retreat
• decrease
• Spare
• falsify
• corrupt
• endanger
• imperil
• betray
• surrender
• abandon
• expose

Related words: (words related to BETTER)

• AMENDFUL
  Much improving.
• REFORMALIZE
  To affect reformation; to pretend to correctness.
• RECLAIMABLE
  That may be reclaimed.
• REFORMATIVE
  Forming again; having the quality of renewing form; reformatory. Good.
• CONVERTIBILITY
  The condition or quality of being convertible; capability of being exchanged; convertibleness. The mutual convertibility of land into money, and of money into land. Burke.
• AMELIORATE
  To grow better; to meliorate; as, wine ameliorates by age.
• CORRECTLY
  In a correct manner; exactly; acurately; without fault or error.
• EXPOSER
  One who exposes or discloses.
• CORRUPTIONIST
  One who corrupts, or who upholds corruption. Sydney Smith.
• CORRUPTIBLE
  1. Capable of being made corrupt; subject to decay. "Our corruptible bodies." Hooker. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold. 1 Pet. i. 18. 2. Capable of being corrupted, or morally vitiated; susceptible of depravation.
• RECLAIMER
  One who reclaims.
• MELIORATER
  See MELIORATOR
• SUPPRESSOR
  One who suppresses.
• RAISE
  To create or constitute; as, to raise a use that is, to create it. Burrill. To raise a blockade , to remove or break up a blockade, either by withdrawing the ships or forces employed in enforcing it, or by driving them away or dispersing them.
• ADJUSTIVE
  Tending to adjust.
• RETREATFUL
  Furnishing or serving as a retreat. "Our retreatful flood." Chapman.
• RAISED
  1. Lifted up; showing above the surroundings; as, raised or embossed metal work. 2. Leavened; made with leaven, or yeast; -- used of bread, cake, etc., as distinguished from that made with cream of tartar, soda, etc. See Raise, v. t., 4. Raised
• RESCUER
  One who rescues.
• CORRECTORY
  Containing or making correction; corrective.
• IMPROVER
  One who, or that which, improves.
• APPRAISER
  One who appraises; esp., a person appointed and sworn to estimate and fix the value of goods or estates.
• PREFORM
  To form beforehand, or for special ends. "Their natures and preformed faculties. " Shak.
• RECOVER
  To cover again. Sir W. Scott.
• MISRAISE
  To raise or exite unreasonable. "Misraised fury." Bp. Hall.
• PRAISEWORTHINESS
  The quality or state of being praiseworthy.
• TRANSPARENT
  transparere to be transparent; L. trans across, through + parere to 1. Having the property of transmitting rays of light, so that bodies can be distinctly seen through; pervious to light; diaphanous; pellucid; as, transparent glass; a transparent
• INCONVERTED
  Not turned or changed about. Sir T. Browne.
• RECONVERTIBLE
  Capable of being reconverted; convertible again to the original form or condition.