SG Heritage Dictionary

Better [Adverb] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. In a more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, virtue, advantage or success; as, to perform work better; to plan a scheme better; land better cultivated; laws better executed; government better administered.

2. More correctly, or fully; as, to understand a subject better than another.

3. With superior excellence; as, to write or speak better than another.

4. With more affection; in a higher degree; as, to love one better than another.

5. It is not easy to specify and exemplify the various applications of better In general, it implies what is more excellent, advantageous, useful, or virtuous, than something else.

Better [Comparative] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. of bet. See Best .]

2. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; applied to physical, acquired or moral qualities; as a better soil, a better man, a better physician, a better house, a better air, a better harvest.

3. More advantageous.

4. Were it not better for us to return to Egypt: Exodus 14:12 .

5. More acceptable.

6. To obey is better than sacrifice. 1 Samuel 15:22 .

7. More safe.

8. It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118:8 .

9. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the patient is better

10. To be better off, to be in a better condition. Beddoes, Hygeia. This is a very common phrase; but ought not off, to be of? It is not elegant.

11. To have the better is to have the advantage or superiority, followed by of before him or that over which the advantage is enjoyed; as, the English had the better of the Spaniards.

12. To get or gain the better is to obtain the advantage, superiority or victory; as, to get the better of an enemy.

13. For the better is for the advantage or improvement.

Better [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

A superior; one who has a claim to precedence on account of his rank, age, or office; as, give place to your betters. It is generally or always used in the plural.

Better [Verb transitive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

1. To improve; to meliorate; to increase the good qualities of; as, manure betters land; discipline may better the morals.

2. To surpass; to exceed.

3. The works of nature do always aim at that which cannot be bettered.

4. Qu.is not the sense, made better:

5. To advance; to support; to give advantage to; as, to better a party; to better a cause.

Better [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another; as, a better man; a better physician; a better house; a better air.

2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness, acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.

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.

6. To improve or ameliorate; to increase the good qualities of.

7. To improve the condition of, morally, physically, financially, socially, or otherwise.

8. To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.

9. To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.

Better [Comparative] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. In a superior or more excellent manner; with more skill and wisdom, courage, virtue, advantage, or success; as, Henry writes better than John; veterans fight better than recruits.

2. More correctly or thoroughly.

3. In a higher or greater degree; more; as, to love one better than another.

4. More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.; as, ten miles and better.

Better [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. Advantage, superiority, or victory; -- usually with of; as, to get the better of an enemy.

2. One who has a claim to precedence; a superior, as in merit, social standing, etc.; -- usually in the plural.

3. One who bets or lays a wager.

Better [Verb intransitive] Webster's Dictionary 1913

To become better; to improve.

Bettered [Participle passive] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Improved; meliorated; made better.

Bettered [Imperfect tense and past participle] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Better

Bettering [Participle present tense] Webster's Dictionary 1828

Making better; improving.

Bettering [Present participle and verbal noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

of Better

Bettering-house [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1828

A house for the reformation of offenders.

Betterment [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. A making better; amendment; improvement.

2. An improvement of an estate which renders it better than mere repairing would do; -- generally used in the plural.

Bettermost [Adjective] Webster's Dictionary 1913

Best.

Betterness [Noun] Webster's Dictionary 1913

1. The quality of being better or superior; superiority.

2. The difference by which fine gold or silver exceeds in fineness the standard.

Betterton Encyclopedia Britannica

BETTERTON, Thomas, the best English actor of his time, was the son of Mr Betterton, under-cook to King Charles L, and was born at Westminster in 1635. He was apprenticed to Mr Rhodes, a bookseller near Charing Cross. Rhodes, who had been wardrobe-keeper to the theatre in Blackfriars, obtained in 1659 a licence to set up a company of players at the Cockpit in Drury Lane; and there Betteιton made his first appearance on the stage. On the opening of the new theatre in Lincoln’s-Jnn-Fields in 1662, Sir William Davenant, the patentee, engaged Betterton and all Rhodes’s company to play in his Siege of Rhodes. Betterton became a great favourite with the king, and was sent to Paris to examine the French stage, with a view to the introduction of improvements. According to Cibber it was after his return that shifting scenes were first used in the English theatre instead of tapestry. In 1670 Betterton married Mrs Sanderson, a good actress of the same company; and the marriage was a very happy one. In 1693, when he had just lost the little money he had laid by, he was enabled by the aid of his friends to erect a new playhouse in the Tennis Court in Lincoln’s-Inn-Fields. It was opened in 1695 with Congreve’s Love for Love. But in a few years the profits greatly fell off; and Betterton, iufirm through age, and labouring under violent attacks of the gout, determined to quit the stage. On his retirement the public gave him a benefit-night, when, though upwards of seventy, he played the part of Valentine iu the comedy of Loυe for Love : the profits are said to have amounted to upwards of £500. His performance of Hamlet after this time is particularly mentioned in the Toiler. In the spring of 1710 he made his last appearance on the stage in his celebrated part of Melantius in ...

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 3, p. 617
[409 words — estimated reading time: 3 minutes]

Goodness Roget’s Thesaurus §648

N. goodness, excellence, merit, virtue, value, worth, price, super-excellence, supereminence, superiority, perfection, coup de maitre, masterpiece, chef d'ouvre, prime, flower, cream, elite, pick, a1, nonesuch, nonpareil, creme de la creme, flower of the flock, cock of the roost, salt of the earth, champion, prodigy, tidbit, gem, gem of the first water, bijou, precious stone, jewel, pearl, diamond, ruby, brilliant, treasure, good thing, rara avis, one in a thousand, beneficence, good man

V. be beneficial, produce good, do good, profit, benefit, confer a benefit, be the making of, do a world of good, make a man of, produce a good effect, do a good turn, confer an obligation, improve, do no harm, break no bones, be good, excel, transcend, bear away the bell, stand the proof, stand the test, pass muster, pass an examination, challenge comparison, vie, emulate, rival

Adj. harmless, hurtless, unobnoxious, innocuous, innocent, inoffensive, beneficial, valuable, of value, serviceable, advantageous, edifying, profitable, salutary, favorable, propitious, fair, good, good as gold, excellent, better, superior, above par, nice, fine, genuine, best, choice, select, picked, elect, recherche, rare, priceless, unparagoned, unparalleled, superlatively, good, bully*, crackajack*, giltedged, superfine, superexcellent, of the first water, first-rate, first-class, high- wrought, exquisite, very best, crack, prime, tiptop, capital, cardinal, standard, inimitable, admirable, estimable, praiseworthy, pleasing, couleur de rose, precious, of great price, costly, worth its weight in gold, worth a jew's eye, priceless, invaluable, inestimable, precious as the apple of the eye, tolerable, up to the mark, unexceptionable, unobjectionable, satisfactory, tidy, in good condition, in fair condition, fresh, sound

Adv. beneficially, well

Phr. "jewels five words long", "long may such goodness live!", "the luxury of doing good"

Improvement Roget’s Thesaurus §658

N. improvement, amelioration, melioration, # betterment, mend, amendment, emendation, mending, advancement, advance, ascent, promotion, preferment, elevation, increase, cultivation, civilization, culture, march of intellect, menticulture, race-culture, eugenics, reform, reformation, revision, radical reform, second thoughts, correction, limoe labor, refinement, elaboration, purification, oxidation, repair, recovery, revise, new edition, reformer, radical

V. improve, be better, become better, get better, mend, amend, advance, ascend, increase, fructify, ripen, mature, pick up, come about, rally, take a favorable turn, turn over a new leaf, turn the corner, raise one's head, sow one's wild oats, recover, be better, be improved by, turn to right account, turn to good account, turn to best account, profit by, reap the benefit of, make good use of, make capital out of, place to good account, render better, improve, mend, amend, better, ameliorate, meliorate, correct, decrassify, improve upon, refine upon, rectify, enrich, mellow, elaborate, fatten, promote, cultivate, advance, forward, enhance, bring forward, bring on, foster, invigorate, touch up, rub up, brush up, furbish up, bolster up, vamp up, brighten up, warm up, polish, cook, make the most of, set off to advantage, prune, repair, put in order, review, revise, make corrections, make improvements, doctor, purify, &c. 652, relieve, refresh, infuse new blood into, recruit, reform, remodel, reorganize, new model, view in a new light, think better of, appeal from philip drunk to philip sober, palliate, mitigate, lessen an evil

Adj. improving, progressive, improved, better, better off, better for, all the better for, better advised, reformatory, emendatory, reparatory, remedial, corrigible, improvable, accultural, adv, on consideration, on reconsideration, on second thoughts, on better advice, ad melius inquirendum, phr, urbent latericiam invenit marmoream reliquit

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

158 KJV and 121 BSB verses contain “Better” — showing the first 20. Show all 181 verses (searchable)

Genesis 29:19

And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to another. Stay here with me.”

Exodus 14:12

Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.

Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

Numbers 11:18

And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

And say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, because you have cried out in the hearing of the LORD, saying: ‘Who will feed us meat? For we were better off in Egypt!’ Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat.

Numbers 14:3

And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

Judges 8:2

And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?

But Gideon answered them, “Now what have I accomplished compared to you? Are not the gleanings of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?

Judges 9:2

Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.

“Please ask all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Is it better for you that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember that I am your own flesh and blood.”

Judges 11:25

And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

Are you now so much better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend with Israel or fight against them?

Judges 18:19

And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?

“Be quiet,” they told him. “Put your hand over your mouth and come with us and be a father and a priest to us. Is it better for you to be a priest for the house of one person or a priest for a tribe and family in Israel?”

Ruth 4:15

And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.

He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

1 Samuel 1:8

Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?

“Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband Elkanah asked. “Why won’t you eat? Why is your heart so grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

1 Samuel 14:30

How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? for had there not been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?

How much better it would have been if the troops had eaten freely today from the plunder they took from their enemies! Would not the slaughter of the Philistines have been much greater?”

1 Samuel 15:22

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

1 Samuel 15:28

And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.

So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.

1 Samuel 27:1

And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

David, however, said to himself, “One of these days now I will be swept away by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will stop searching for me all over Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

1 Samuel 29:4

And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?

But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the war. What better way for him to regain the favor of his master than with the heads of our men?

2 Samuel 14:32

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.

“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”

2 Samuel 17:14

And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Archite is better than that of Ahithophel.” For the LORD had purposed to thwart the good counsel of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

2 Samuel 18:3

But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us: but now thou art worth ten thousand of us: therefore now it is better that thou succour us out of the city.

But the people pleaded, “You must not go out! For if we have to flee, they will pay no attention to us. Even if half of us die, they will not care; but you are worth ten thousand of us. It is better for now if you support us from the city.”

1 Kings 1:47

And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.

The king’s servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than your own name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king has bowed in worship on his bed,

1 Kings 2:32

And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.

The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.