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单词 better
释义
better1 adjectivebetter2 adverbbetter3 nounbetter4 verb
betterbet‧ter1 /ˈbetə $ -ər/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective Word Origin
WORD ORIGINbetter1
Origin:
Old English betera
Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • Angie spent last week painting her bedroom -- it looks much better.
  • Consumers are demanding lower prices, better quality, and a larger selection of goods.
  • Here, this one is better - try it.
  • His latest novel is far better than anything he's written before.
  • I don't think you should go swimming until you're better.
  • Lucy's better at mathematics than I am.
  • My sister is a better student than me.
  • People's general health is a lot better these days than it used to be.
  • She's a little better than she was yesterday.
  • She bought a better car.
  • The sales figures were better than we expected.
  • We could either go to Florida or California -- which do you think is better?
  • You'll get a better deal from a mail-order company.
  • Your job is better than mine.
  • Your Spanish is definitely getting better.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • Caffeine received no better press in the twentieth century.
  • He turned down what any of his peers would have called a much better deal today.
  • Still, he is impressive as the surly, enigmatic intellectual who offers Jane a glimmer of hope for a better life.
  • Tell the students that you are going to conduct an activity to find out if two ears are better than one.
  • Women are little better, only weaker in carrying out their ill intentions.
Thesaurus
THESAURUS
the comparative of good: · She wants a better job.· The sales figures were far better than expected.· Lucy’s better at French than I am.
better, especially in quality: · German cars are far superior.· a superior product· He thinks men are superior to women.
formal more suitable or useful – used when saying which one you prefer: · Cash would be preferable.· Anything would be preferable to the system we have now.
to be better than something that existed before: · The engine is a huge improvement on previous diesel engines.
to be slightly better than another person or thing – used especially when saying which one will win in a game or competition: · Federer is likely to have the edge in Sunday’s game.· For me, this film has the edge over the others.
(also be streets ahead (of somebody/something) British English) informal to be very much better than someone or something that you are competing against: · The company is streets ahead of its rivals.
spoken used to emphasize that one person or thing is clearly much better than someone or something else: · There’s no comparison between the two teams.· ‘Which apartment do you prefer?’ ‘Well, there’s no comparison. The first one we saw is bigger, quieter, and has much nicer furniture.’
Longman Language Activatorbetter than someone or something else
· We could either go to Florida or California -- which do you think is better?better than · Your job is better than mine.· My sister is a better student than me.· The sales figures were better than we expected.better at something/doing something · Lucy's better at mathematics than I am.far better/much better/a lot better · His latest novel is far better than anything he's written before.better quality · Consumers are demanding lower prices, better quality, and a larger selection of goods.
products, skills, or services that are superior are better than those that they are competing against: · Our aim is to provide our clients with a superior service at all times.· The company has a reputation for superior technology and customer loyalty.superior to: · They claimed that a vegetarian diet was superior to a meat diet.
written goods or services that are of a higher standard or higher quality are better than they were previously or better than goods or services of a similar kind: · In the mid-eighties, American consumers began to purchase more and more Japanese products, believing they were better value and of higher quality.of a higher standard/of higher quality than: · Government officials are claiming that the health care available here is of a much higher standard than in neighbouring countries.
informal to be much better and more enjoyable than something else: · Jake's home-made burgers beat anything you can get at fast-food restaurants.beat doing something: · It's not a particularly good job, but it certainly beats being unemployed.
informal clearly better than others of the same type: · Musicians of the time admitted that the Ellington Orchestra was a cut above all others.a cut above the rest: · The first applicant we interviewed was definitely a cut above the rest.
to be slightly better than something or someone else: have the edge on/over something: · Their new laptop computer seems to have the edge on the competition.have the edge on/over somebody: · Having spent a year in Brazil, she hoped she would have the edge over the other language students.
to be better, more effective, and more useful than something else, especially because of a particular feature: have an advantage over something: · The fact that this computer is so simple to use means that it has an advantage over most other systems.have a distinct advantage over something (=have a clear advantage over something): · For certain types of work, natural wood has distinct advantages over plastics.
to be much more skilful and more successful at doing something than someone else: be more than a match for somebody: · When it comes to TV debates, Senator Murphy's more than a match for any of his rivals.be more than a match for something: · The rebel army's tactics are more than a match for the nation's military forces.
better than something of the usual type, for example by being more enjoyable, more useful, or of higher quality: · I don't want an ordinary wedding. I want something special.· Of my nine gold medals, this one is the most special.· Some aides privately complain that the Senator receives special treatment.
very much better than someone or something
informal to be clearly doing very much better at something than someone else: · Winger's stands head and shoulders above every other restaurant in town.· Kander and Ebb are head and shoulders above the others writing for the musical theater these days.
spoken use this to emphasize that one person or thing is clearly much better than someone or something else: · "Which apartment do you prefer?'' "Well, there's no comparison. The first one we saw is bigger, quieter, and has much nicer furniture.''
British to be so much better than others that their achievements are made to seem ordinary: · Coca Cola's prize-winning advertising campaign has put all others in the shade.· The generous response of the public to the disaster puts the government's contribution somewhat in the shade.
written to be so much better than someone or something else that they are made to seem unimportant and not worth paying any attention to: · Channel 5's tremendous line-up of TV programmes has eclipsed its competitors' best efforts.· Eclipsed by the US champion at last year's Olympic Games, Schofield has decided to retire.
if someone is in a different league , they are so much better and more skilful than someone who does similar work that it would be stupid even to compare them: · You can't possibly compare Thomas Hardy and Wilkie Collins - Hardy is in a different league.
to be so much better than someone else that they feel slightly embarrassed by their own lack of skill or quality: · The elegant way she was dressed put the rest of us to shame.· Acapulco is a cosmopolitan city with a nightlife that puts Rio to shame.
informal to perform with much greater skill than someone else in a competitive activity such as a sport or an argument: run rings around somebody: · It's no use arguing with Sophie -- she can run rings around anyone who disagrees with her.· Tottenham Hotspur are running rings around Arsenal in the most exciting cup final in years.
British informal to be very much better than something of the same type or than someone you are competing with: be streets ahead of: · The script is original and funny, streets ahead of any other situation comedy.· We don't need to worry about this year's sales figures -- they're streets ahead of the competition.
British to be so much better at something than other people that they cannot possibly compete successfully with you: · It seems that in this campaign the Labour candidate has left the opposition standing.· Julie's an excellent typist -- her speed and accuracy leave the rest of us standing.
to reach a higher standard than someone or something else
· The British champion has completed the course in three minutes -- let's see if his Canadian rival can do better.do better than · If you are saving 5 percent of your income each year, you're doing better than most people.· Harris argued that the economy is doing better than it was five years ago.
to do better than someone you are competing with, especially because you want to prove that you are better: · Kids always try to outdo each other in attracting the teacher's attention.· Western Europe and Japan managed to outdo their American competitors in some economic areas.
written to be clearly more attractive, popular, or skilful than someone else: · The young Japanese violinist outshone every other musician at the concert.· Kelly was outstanding and outshone every other player on the field.
to perform with much greater skill or success than someone or something else: · For the third time this season, Celtic outclassed their local rivals, Rangers, last night.· There's never been a jet engine to outclass the Rolls Royce Avon.
to do very much better than someone or something else, especially when the person or thing you are competing with used to be of the same standard: · The new magazine's circulation of 210,000 outstrips that of all of its closest competitors.· Girls are now outstripping boys in all school subjects.
to develop or increase more quickly than someone or something else and become bigger, better, or more advanced than them: · The Clippers played better in the second half but couldn't overtake the Rockets and lost by eight points.· Some are predicting that India could overtake China as the world's most populous country before 2050.
better than before
· The following day, the weather was a little better.better than · People's general health is a lot better these days than it used to be.get better · Your Spanish is definitely getting better.far better/much better/a lot better · Angie spent last week painting her bedroom -- it looks much better.
better than before as a result of changes that have been made -- used especially when selling or advertising a product: · Perhaps you'd like to have a look at our new improved model?· Garrett believes the new system will allow him to lower prices and provide improved service to customers.much/greatly/vastly improved: · This vastly improved information system means that doctors can see patients' medical histories at the flick of a switch.
to be better than something similar, such as a product or method, that existed before: be an improvement on something: · The new heating system is certainly an improvement on the old one.be a big improvement on something: · I wouldn't say it was my favorite show, but it's a big improvement on her last series.
spoken say this when something that is not happening or being done in the way that you want suddenly gets better: · Faster, faster -- good, that's more like it.· What's wrong with this TV set? It doesn't seem to be working -- ah, that's more like it.
to do something better than before
to reach a higher standard than you reached before: · I was convinced that many of the students could have done better if they'd tried.· Mark ran the distance in 30 minutes in the fall, but we're hoping he'll do better this season.
to do something better than before or make it better than before, especially by working harder: improve on/upon something: · I'm sure you could improve on your assignment if you spent a little more time on it.· Hughes is anxious for the chance to improve upon last year's 11th place finish.
to make someone feel less upset, sad, worried, etc
to comfort someone, for example by telling them there is nothing to worry about or putting your arms around them: · He tried to comfort her by telling her that everything would be all right.· Joyce did her best to comfort him, assuring him that it was not his fault.· The two sisters hugged each other, sharing their grief and comforting one another.
to say something to someone or give them something that makes them feel less upset, sad, worried etc: · What can I do to make you feel better?· It might make you feel better to eat something.· Why don't you tell me what's troubling you? It'll make you feel better.
to make someone feel happier when they are disappointed or sad about something: · Thanks for the card. It really cheered me up.· I'm taking Jenny out tonight to cheer her up.· I tried to think of something to say to cheer him up.
written to comfort someone when they feel unhappy or disappointed, especially by saying something that makes them realize the situation is not so bad: · A priest was called in to console victims' families.· I wanted to console her, but I didn't know how.console yourself with something: · Archer consoled himself with the thought that at least he had done his best.
to make someone feel less worried or frightened about a situation, for example by being friendly to them or by telling them there is nothing to worry about: · My mother did her best to reassure me, but I still felt nervous and insecure.reassure somebody about something: · The company tried to reassure shareholders about the safety of their stocks.reassure somebody that: · The doctor did his best to reassure us that Cindy would be all right.· The president reassured voters that there would be no tax increase.· I tried to reassure her that she had made the right decision in turning down the job.
to make someone feel more calm and relaxed when they are upset, anxious, or nervous: · When the baby cried, his mother soothed him by stroking his hot little head.· Maybe a drink would help soothe your nerves.
spoken say this to tell someone to stop feeling disappointed or sad and try to be more cheerful: · Cheer up! It's not that bad.· Cheer up, Phil. You'll find another job.
spoken say this when you want to make someone less worried or nervous, because you do not think there is anything to be worried or nervous about: · Don't worry. The doctor says it's just a bad cold.· Don't worry! The flight's not until 9:30. We have plenty of time.
to cure someone
to make someone who has an illness completely well again or to stop a disease making someone ill: · It is possible that in the near future we will be able to cure AIDS.· cure somebody: · Many cancer victims can be cured if the disease is detected early enough.cure somebody of something: · Eventually we found a doctor who was able to cure her of her depression.
to make someone who is ill well again, especially when they have an illness that is not very serious: · Take this -- it'll make you feel a lot better.· I've had all kinds of medicines from the chemist, but nothing seems to make me any better.make a headache/cold/pain etc better: · She refuses to take anything to make her headache better.
to cure someone of a physical or mental illness, especially using methods that do not involve the usual drugs or forms of medical treatment: · This cream is good for healing minor cuts and bruises.· Madame Bernice claimed to be able to heal people simply by laying her hands on their bodies.
to become better
especially spoken · I hope the weather gets better soon.get a lot better · The first part of the book is pretty boring, but it gets a lot better as the story goes on.things get better (=a situation gets better) · If things don't get better, we may end up having to sell the house.get better and better (=continue to get better) · I don't mind training hard, because you get better and better all the time.
especially written to get better: · In the weeks that followed, his health continued to improve.· Some wines improve with age.improve dramatically/greatly etc: · Conditions in prisons have improved dramatically in the last 20 years.
to improve so that you reach the same standard as other people in your class, group etc: · If you miss a lot of school, it will be very difficult to catch up.catch up with: · Although she had never studied German before, Jane soon caught up with the others.catch somebody up: · The other players in the team are better than me, but I'm slowly catching them up.
if a business or economic situation picks up , it improves after a period without much business activity: · Financial commentators think we'll see the economy starting to pick up early next year.· Sales were very slow in the first half of the year, but business is beginning to pick up now.
spoken say this when good things have started to happen to you, and your life seems much better than it was: · Things are looking up - I've got a new job and a new boyfriend.
to make something better
to make something better: · I wanted to improve my French, so I got a job in Paris.· The funds will go towards improving road and rail services.· By managing natural resources more effectively, our quality of human life could be improved greatly.
to improve a situation or improve someone's life: · Instead of making the traffic situation better, the new road has just made things worse.· You won't make things any better by worrying about them.· Have computers really made life better for everyone?
to make changes to something or add things to it in order to make it better, more useful, or more effective: · After we've made a few improvements, the software should be fine.make improvements to: · Several improvements have been made to the original designs.· They made a lot of improvements to the house after they moved in.
British /whip something into shape especially American informal to make changes to something in order to make it good enough: · We've only got one week left to knock the play into shape.· The new Chief Executive is whipping the company into shape and making it more competitive.
to improve something such as machinery, a building, or a system by making it more modern, effective, and successful: · The city has recently spent $3 million on upgrading its sports stadium.· It was decided that the entire computer system should be upgraded.· Since July, the airport has upgraded security measures, at a cost of $560,000.
to improve a system or process by making it more simple and therefore faster and more effective: · The new system is an attempt to streamline the decision-making process.· Apple is going to streamline its operations and concentrate development efforts on the Internet and multimedia.
to improve standards of behaviour in a place or organization, especially by removing dishonest or criminal people: clean up something: · It's time someone cleaned up this city; we have one of the highest crime rates in the country.· Most clubs have made a big effort to clean up football's image.clean something up: · The management of some our prisons has sometimes been corrupt, and it is our job to clean it up.
also brush up something British especially spoken to practise doing something that you have not done for a long time in order to try to improve it: · I'd like to brush up on my Italian before our trip.· Public libraries frequently have computers that people can use to brush up their IT skills.
most of an amount, group, or thing
the largest number of people or things, or the largest part of something: · What most people want is a peaceful life.· Most restaurants open at 7.· Most evenings we just stay in and watch TV.· Most research suggests that health is related to social class.most of: · Most of the people I spoke to were very worried.· Alex spent most of his allowance on books.· I've lived here most of my life, so I know the area pretty well.
· He likes almost all kinds of popular music.· We got nearly all our food from the farm.· The bed occupied nearly all the space in the room.almost all/nearly all of · Nearly all of my clothes are too small now.· Almost all of the world's tropical forests are in developing countries.
more than half of the people or things in a large group: · A poll of Democrats shows that a majority support the President.the/a majority of: · In June the majority of our students will be taking examinations.· They claim their campaign is supported by a majority of residents.the vast/great/overwhelming majority (=far more than half): · The great majority of accidents in the Alps occur while climbers are coming down.· an education policy that will please the vast majority of parents
most of a large amount or number of something: · Throughout the Middle Ages, the bulk of the population lived in the country rather than in towns.· The bulk of the charity's income comes from private donations.
most of a period of time or of a distance, especially when the time or distance is too long: · It was the best part of a mile to the farm.· It'll probably take the best part of a week to sort it out.· I expect the whole procedure to take the better part of a morning.
the biggest part of something valuable or good that is taken by one person, group, or organization, so that others get less: · Sarah only ate a few bites of the dessert, so I got the lion's share.the lion's share of: · Why should the state get the lion's share of people's money?· His company currently has the lion's share of the market.
to be better again after an illness or injury
if someone is better after an illness or injury, they have recovered, or they are in the process of recovering: · How are you? Are you better?· I'll just rest today, and, hopefully, I'll be better tomorrow.· I hope Robert's better by Saturday, because we need him for the team.
if someone is well , they are healthy again, and they no longer have an illness or injury: · As soon as you're well we'll go to Florida and have a few weeks in the sun.· They couldn't really make any firm plans until Luis was well again.
to be completely well again after an illness or injury: · We were relieved to find that Barnes was fully recovered and able to take part in the race.be fully recovered from: · Keep the patient still and quiet until he is fully recovered from the attack.
if someone is cured , they are completely better because their illness has been treated successfully: · She's still rather weak, but her bronchitis seems to be cured.be cured of: · It is only after two or three years that the doctors can say you are definitely cured of cancer.be completely cured: · He was always confident that he would be completely cured.
to be well again after an illness: · You've had a bad attack of malaria, but I think you're over it now.be over the worst: · Her temperature is going down again - she seems to be over the worst.
informal to be well again and able to live life as usual after being ill: · After a day or two in bed I'll be back on my feet again.· Wait till you're back on your feet before you start worrying about your exams.
to be out of bed and well enough to walk around again, after an illness or injury has forced you to stay in bed: · She's up and about now, and should be back at work in a day or two.· It's good to see you up and about again.
especially British to be well again after having been ill, so that you are now able to move around as usual, exercise etc: · Don't come back to work until you're completely fit.· He should be back at training next week if he's fit.be fit as a fiddle (=be extremely fit): · Don't worry - I'll be as fit as a fiddle again by next week.
to become healthy again after an illness or accident
to become healthy again after you have had an illness, injury, or operation: · My mother's been very ill, and is still in hospital recovering.· Sammy needed to recover a little before they could move him to a hospital nearer his home.recover from: · He never really recovered from the operation.fully recover (=completely recover): · It was several months before John had fully recovered from his heart attack.
especially spoken to become healthy again after you have had an illness, injury, or operation: · I hope you get better soon.· My back has been quite bad recently, but it's getting better slowly.· I didn't remember anything about the accident, but little by little, as I got better, memories started coming back to me.
to recover completely, fully, well, or slowly: · The disease has been caught early, and the doctors say she should make a complete recovery.· Thomas is making a good recovery, although he is still quite weak.make a remarkable/amazing recovery: · Joe has made a remarkable recovery from the injuries he sustained in the accident.
to recover from an illness, especially one that is not very serious: · Mark hasn't got over the flu yet. He still feels pretty weak.· I've had a nasty cold, but I'm getting over it now.· The doctor told Mum it was only a stomach upset, not food poisoning, and she would get over it in a day or two.
to recover from an illness - use this especially when you are encouraging someone to recover: · Get well soon -- we all miss you!· I hope you get well quickly.
to feel less ill than you did before: · I hope you feel better soon.· My father's been quite ill, but he's starting to feel a bit better now.
if you or your health improves, you become less ill than you were before but not completely well. Improve is more formal than feel better: · Susie's improving gradually with this new treatment.· My health finally began to improve when I changed to a less stressful job.· She was told to go back to the doctor in two weeks if she hadn't improved.
if someone is on the mend , they are definitely showing signs of getting better after an illness or injury: · I'm glad to see you're on the mend again.· Kathy's been quite ill with flu, but I think she's on the mend now.
to manage to recover from an illness such as a cold or an infection, which you have had for a fairly long time: shake something off: · Towards the end of the year he caught flu, and he couldn't shake it off.shake off something: · It seems to be taking me a long time to shake off this cold.
WORD SETS
abscess, nounache, verbache, nounacne, nounagoraphobia, nounagoraphobic, nounague, noun-aholic, suffixAIDS, nounailment, nounairsick, adjectivealbino, nounalcoholic, nounalcoholism, nounallergic, adjectiveallergy, nounamnesia, nounamputee, nounanaemia, nounanaemic, adjectiveangina, nounanorexia, nounanorexic, adjectiveantacid, nounanthrax, nounantibody, nounantidepressant, nounantidote, nounantigen, nounantihistamine, nounanti-inflammatory, adjectiveantitoxin, nounapoplectic, adjectiveapoplexy, nounappendicitis, nounarteriosclerosis, nounarthritis, nounaseptic, adjectiveaspirin, nounasthma, nounastigmatism, nounasymptomatic, adjectiveathlete's foot, nounatrophy, verbauto-immune disease, nounAyurvedic medicine, nounbaby blues, nounbacillus, nounbackache, nounbark, verbbattle fatigue, nounBCG, nounbedridden, adjectivebedsore, nounbed-wetting, nounbellyache, nounbenign, adjectiveberiberi, nounbespectacled, adjectivebetter, adjectivebilious, adjectivebinge, verbbiopsy, nounbirthmark, nounbite, verbbite, nounblack and blue, adjectiveBlack Death, the, black eye, nounblackout, nounbleed, verbbleeding, nounblind, verbblister, nounblister, verbblood bank, nounblood donor, nounblood poisoning, nounbloodshot, adjectiveblood transfusion, nounbloody, adjectivebloody, verbblue baby, nounboil, nounbotulism, nounbrain damage, nounbreakdown, nounbronchitis, nounbruise, nounbruise, verbBSE, nounbubonic plague, nounbug, nounbulimia, nounbump, nounbunion, nounbuzz, verbcalloused, adjectivecallus, nouncancer, nouncandida, nouncanker, nouncarbuncle, nouncarcinogen, nouncarcinogenic, adjectivecarcinoma, nouncardiac, adjectivecardiovascular, adjectivecaries, nouncarpal tunnel syndrome, nouncarrier, nouncarry, verbcarsick, adjectivecast, nouncasualty, nouncataract, nouncatarrh, nouncatatonic, adjectivecatching, adjectivecauliflower ear, nouncerebral palsy, nouncertify, verbcervical smear, nounchapped, adjectivecharley horse, nounchemotherapy, nounchesty, adjectivechicken pox, nounchilblains, nounChinese medicine, nouncholera, nounchronic, adjectivecirrhosis, nounCJD, nouncleanse, verbcleft palate, nounclinic, nounclinical, adjectiveclub foot, nouncold, nouncold sore, nouncolic, nouncolitis, nouncollapse, verbcolour-blind, adjectivecoma, nouncommon cold, nouncommon denominator, nouncommunicate, verbcomplaint, nouncomplicate, verbcomplication, nouncompound fracture, nounconcuss, verbconcussion, nouncondition, nouncongenital, adjectivecongested, adjectiveconjunctivitis, nounconstipation, nounconsumption, nounconsumptive, nouncontagion, nouncontagious, adjectivecontinent, adjectivecontract, verbcontusion, nounconvalesce, verbconvulsion, nouncorn, nouncortisone, nouncot death, nouncough, nounCPR, nouncrack-up, nouncramp, nounCreutzfeldt-Jakob disease, nouncrick, nouncrick, verbcripple, nouncripple, verbcross-eyed, adjectivecroup, nouncurable, adjectivecut, nouncyst, nouncystic fibrosis, nouncystitis, noundecompression sickness, noundeep vein thrombosis, noundeformity, noundegenerative, adjectivedehydrate, verbdelirious, adjectivedelirium, noundelusion, noundementia, noundengue fever, noundepression, noundermatitis, noundiabetes, noundiabetic, adjectivediabetic, noundiagnosis, noundialysis, noundiaper rash, noundiarrhoea, noundiphtheria, noundisability, noundisable, verbdisabled, adjectivedischarge, verbdisease, noundisgorge, verbdislocate, verbdisorder, noundissipated, adjectivedissipation, noundistemper, noundistend, verbdizzy, adjectivedoddering, adjectivedoddery, adjectivedonate, verbdonor, noundouble vision, noundoughy, adjectivedown, adverbDown's syndrome, noundrawn, adjectivedressing, noundrinker, noundrunk, adjectivedrunk, noundrunken, adjectivedull, adjectivedumb, adjectiveDVT, noundysentery, noundyslexia, noundyspepsia, noundyspeptic, adjectiveearache, nouneating disorder, nounEbola, nounectopic pregnancy, nouneczema, nounemaciated, adjectiveemasculate, verbembolism, nounemphysema, nounencephalitis, nounendoscope, nounenervate, verbenteritis, nounepidemic, nounepilepsy, nounepileptic, adjectiveepileptic, nounetiology, nounexcruciating, adjectiveexposure, nouneyeless, adjectiveeye strain, nounfail, verbfaint, nounfester, verbfever, nounfever blister, nounfevered, adjectivefeverish, adjectivefirst aid, nounfit, nounflat feet, nounflat-footed, adjectiveflu, nounfood poisoning, nounfoot and mouth disease, nounfracture, verbfracture, nounfrostbite, noungall, noungammy, adjectiveganglion, noungangrene, noungas, noungash, noungastric, adjectivegastritis, noungastroenteritis, nounGerman measles, nounget, verbgingivitis, nounglandular fever, nounglaucoma, noungnarled, adjectivegonorrhea, noungout, noungrand mal, noungraze, verbgraze, noungriping, adjectivegroggy, adjectivegrowing pains, noungrowth, noungush, verbgynaecology, nounhacking cough, nounhaemophilia, nounhaemophiliac, nounhaemorrhage, nounhaemorrhage, verbhaemorrhoids, nounhalitosis, nounhandicap, nounhandicapped, adjectivehangover, nounhard of hearing, adjectiveharelip, nounhay fever, nounheadache, nounhealth, nounheart attack, nounheartburn, nounheart disease, nounheart failure, nounheat exhaustion, nounheat rash, nounheatstroke, nounheave, verbhepatitis, nounhernia, nounherpes, nounHIV, nounhormone replacement therapy, nounhospital, nounhospitalize, verbhot flush, nounhousebound, adjectiveHRT, nounhump, nounhumpback, nounhunchback, nounhungover, adjectivehydrophobia, nounhypertension, nounhypothermia, nounhysterectomy, nounhysteria, nounhysterical, adjectiveillness, nounimmune, adjectiveimmune system, nounimmunity, nounimmunize, verbimmunology, nounimpacted, adjectiveimpediment, nounimpetigo, nounimpotent, adjectiveincision, nounincontinent, adjectiveincubate, verbincurable, adjectiveindigestion, nounindisposed, adjectiveindisposition, nouninfantile, adjectiveinfantile paralysis, nouninfect, verbinfected, adjectiveinfection, nouninfectious, adjectiveinfirmity, nouninflammation, nouninflammatory, adjectiveinfluenza, nouninfusion, nouningrowing, adjectiveinoculate, verbinoperable, adjectiveinsane, adjectiveinsanity, nouninsomnia, nouninsomniac, nouninstability, nounintensive care, nounintravenous, adjectiveinvalid, nouninvalidity, nouninvasive, adjectiveirregular, adjectiveirritable bowel syndrome, nounirritant, nounirritate, verbirritated, adjectiveirritation, noun-ism, suffixisolation, nounjaundice, nounjaundiced, adjectivejet lag, nounknock-kneed, adjectiveknotted, adjectivelaceration, nounlaryngitis, nounlegionnaire's disease, nounleper, nounleprosy, nounlesion, nounleukemia, nounlisp, nounlisteria, nounliverish, adjectivelockjaw, nounlong-sighted, adjectiveloose, adjectivelozenge, nounlumbago, nounlunacy, nounLyme disease, nounmad cow disease, nounmalady, nounmalaise, nounmalaria, nounmalformation, nounmalignancy, nounmalignant, adjectivemalnourished, adjectivemalnutrition, nounmange, nounmangy, adjectivemania, nounmanic, adjectivemanic depression, nounmastitis, nounME, nounmeasles, nounmedicinal, adjectivemegalomania, nounmegalomaniac, nounmelancholia, nounmelancholic, adjectivemelanoma, nounmend, verbmeningitis, nounmentally handicapped, adjectivemigraine, nounmild, adjectivemiscarriage, nounmole, nounmongol, nounmono, nounmononucleosis, nounmorbid, adjectivemorning sickness, nounmoron, nounmotion sickness, nounmotor neurone disease, nounMRI, nounMRSA, nounMS, nounmultiple sclerosis, nounmumps, nounmurmur, nounmusclebound, adjectivemuscular dystrophy, nounmute, adjectivemute, nounmyopia, nounmyopic, adjectivemyxomatosis, nounnarcolepsy, nounnausea, nounnauseate, verbnauseous, adjectivenearsighted, adjectivenervous breakdown, nounnettle rash, nounneuralgia, nounneurosis, nounneurotic, adjectivenosebleed, nounnotifiable, adjectiveNSU, nounobesity, nounoff-colour, adjectiveoperate, verboperation, nounophthalmic, adjectiveophthalmology, noun-osis, suffixosteoarthritis, nounosteopathy, nounosteoporosis, nounoutpatient, nounoverbite, nounpacemaker, nounpaediatrics, nounpale, adjectivepallid, adjectivepallor, nounpalpitate, verbpalpitations, nounpalsy, nounpandemic, nounparalyse, verbparalysed, adjectiveparalysis, nounparalytic, adjectiveparalytic, nounparanoia, nounparaplegia, nounparaplegic, nounparasitic, adjectiveParkinson's disease, nounparoxysm, nounpasty, adjectivepasty-faced, adjectivepathogen, nounpathological, adjectivepathology, nounpeaked, adjectivepeaky, adjectivepellagra, nounpeptic ulcer, nounperforated, adjectiveperiod pain, nounperitonitis, nounpernicious anaemia, nounpersecution complex, nounpestilence, nounpestilential, adjectivepetit mal, nounpharyngitis, nounphlebitis, nounphlegm, noun-phobic, suffixphysiotherapy, nounpigeon-toed, adjectivepins and needles, nounplacebo, nounplague, nounplaque, nounplaster cast, nounpleurisy, nounPMS, nounPMT, nounpneumonia, nounpockmark, nounpockmarked, adjectivepoisoning, nounpolio, nounpolyp, nounpoor, adjectivepost-traumatic stress disorder, nounpremenstrual tension, nounprescribe, verbprescription, nounpreventive medicine, nounprickle, verbprickly heat, nounprognosis, nounprolapse, nounprophylactic, adjectiveprophylactic, nounprophylaxis, nounpsoriasis, nounpsychopath, nounpsychosis, nounpsychosomatic, adjectivepsychotic, adjectivepuffy, adjectivepull, verbpurulent, adjectivepus, nounpustule, nounqueasy, adjectiverabid, adjectiverabies, nounradiation sickness, nounradiography, nounrash, nounraw, adjectivereact, verbreaction, nounreceive, verbrecuperate, verbrecuperative, adjectiveregurgitate, verbrelapse, verbremission, nounrepetitive strain injury, nounresistance, nounrespond, verbretch, verbRhesus factor, nounrheumatic, adjectiverheumatic fever, nounrheumatism, nounrheumatoid arthritis, nounrickets, nounringworm, nounRSI, nounrubella, nounrun-down, adjectiverunny, adjectiverupture, nounsaddle-sore, adjectivesalmonella, nounscab, nounscabby, adjectivescabies, nounscald, verbscald, nounscaly, adjectivescar, nounscar, verbscarlet fever, nounschizophrenia, nounsciatica, nounsclerosis, nounscrape, verbscrape, nounscratch, nounscurvy, nounseasick, adjectiveseizure, nounself-examination, nounsenile, adjectivesenile dementia, nounsenseless, adjectivesepsis, nounseptic, adjectivesepticaemia, nounserum, nounset, verbsexually transmitted disease, nounshell shock, nounshell-shocked, adjectiveshingles, nounshock, nounshort-sighted, adjectivesickle-cell anaemia, nounsickly, adjectivesickness, nounside effect, nounsightless, adjectivesimple fracture, nounsleeping sickness, nounslipped disc, nounsmallpox, nounsnakebite, nounsnow blindness, nounsore, adjectivesore, nounspastic, adjectivespecial needs, nounspecimen, nounspina bifida, nounsprain, verbsputum, nounsquint, verbsquint, nounstammer, nounstarvation, nounstarve, verbSTD, nounstomachache, nounstone, nounstrain, nounstrain, verbstrangulated, adjectivestrep throat, nounstroke, nounsty, nounsuccumb, verbsufferer, nounsunstroke, nounsuperbug, nounsurgical, adjectiveswelling, nounswollen, adjectivesymptom, nounsymptomatic, adjectivesyndrome, nounsyphilis, nounTB, nountear, verbtetanus, nountherapeutic, adjectivetherapy, nounthrombosis, nounthrush, nountic, nountight, adjectivetingle, verbtinnitus, nountipsy, adjectivetonsillitis, nountoothache, nountorment, nountourniquet, nountoxaemia, nountoxic shock syndrome, nountraction, nountransfusion, nountrauma, nountravel sickness, nountreatment, nountremor, nountuberculosis, nountumour, nountunnel vision, nountwinge, nountwitch, nountyphoid, nountyphus, nounulcer, nounulcerate, verbultrasound, noununderweight, adjectiveundressed, adjectiveunhealthy, adjectiveuntreated, adjectivevaccinate, verbvaccine, nounvaricose veins, nounVD, nounvenereal disease, nounverruca, nounvertigo, nounviral, adjectivevirology, nounvirulent, adjectivevomit, verbvomit, nounwart, nounweak, adjectiveweal, nounweep, verbwheeze, verbwheeze, nounwheezy, adjectivewhiplash, nounwhooping cough, nounwind, nounwithered, adjectivewound, nounwrench, verbwriter's cramp, nounyaws, nounyeast infection, nounyellow fever, noun
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
 We now have a much better understanding of the disease.
 It was even better than last year.
 I’m feeling much better, thank you.
 I hope he gets better (=recovers from an illness) soon.
 There’s no better way of exploring the region.
 She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach.
 Have you got nothing better to do than sit there playing that silly game?
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler.
 I feel a bit better now.
British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it)
(=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary.
(also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better.
 The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago.
(=much better, bigger etc)
(=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was.
(=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment.
 It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better.
 Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes.
 We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens.
 His voice was little more than a whisper.
(=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things.
 Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable.
 I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past!
 I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us.
(=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway!
· Renting a house may be a better option than buying.
· Workers demanded higher pay.
 You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened).
· The law should give greater protection to victims.
 The results were a shade better than we expected.
 Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
 January’s sales were slightly better than average.
 Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market.
 Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them).
· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • Analysts in Harare believe Mr Mugabe would like nothing better than the chance to declare a nationwide state of emergency.
  • For sleeping there is nothing better than cotton.
  • He had nothing better to do.
  • I should have remembered: our new management likes nothing better than doing things on the cheap.
  • Learn to tie it and you will realise there is nothing better.
  • Rowland moves outside the establishment - in fact, he likes nothing better than upsetting it.
  • The reporters, oddly enough, just happen to be sitting there in the line of fire with nothing better to do.
  • With nothing better to do, Billy shuffled in their direction.
  • Come on, give me a hug. There, that's better, isn't it?
  • Try keeping your arm straight when you hit the ball. That's better!
  • But that's better than none.
  • She had half drained her mug when she said, ` Ah, that's better!
  • So let's try: That's better. the pages now contain both words.
  • Surely that's better than fading away in a hospital bed somewhere?
  • That's better, the waist is accentuated now.
  • Well, that's better than finding half a worm!
  • "The pictures have finally arrived.'' "Well, better late than never.''
  • While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► it is better/it would be better
  • Braden's teams always get better as the season goes on.
  • Get some rest and get better, okay?
  • I didn't remember anything about the accident, but little by little, as I got better, memories started coming back to me.
  • I don't mind training hard, because you get better and better all the time.
  • I hope the weather gets better soon.
  • I hope you get better soon.
  • If things don't get better, we may end up having to sell the house.
  • Living conditions may get worse before they get better.
  • My back has been quite bad recently, but it's getting better slowly.
  • The first part of the book is pretty boring, but it gets a lot better as the story goes on.
  • And has it got better or worse?
  • At school I sometimes used to get better marks than him, but that was when he chose not to exert himself.
  • Even Quayle is getting better press than me.
  • Four decades ago in Britain girls were getting better results than boys in the 11-plus exam.
  • He was getting better every day, so much better, and yet business got worse and worse.
  • So the Giants do have to get better, and history suggests rather strongly that better means not staying the same.
  • To keep getting better, you must improve.
  • When you've been blown to bits, as Zimmerman had, you either train hard or you don't get better.
  • Caffeine received no better press in the twentieth century.
  • Conditions were no better in the cities.
  • Experts agree that in reality, the company looked after the workforce no better than most other employers of that time.
  • Havvie Blaine, for all his name and lineage, was no better than Terry Rourke.
  • If you turned to domestic politics, the news was no better.
  • In fact, it was no better and no worse than other Air Force major commands.
  • Nearly a decade later, our educational system was no better off than it had been when the commission issued its report.
  • The problem with network computers is that they are no better than the networks they are connected to.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
  • He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
  • His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
  • If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
  • It makes it all the more opportune.
  • Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
  • The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
  • The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
  • Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
  • "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
  • Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
  • Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
  • His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
  • It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
  • Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
  • The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
  • The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc
  • Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
  • I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
  • Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour
  • For our purposes it may be more helpful to use the idea of desire when assessing elders.
  • He roused himself wearily to exchange greetings with the elders as they passed him, and went in to his foster-father.
  • In this respect at least, the procedures reflected those of a lineage or tribal meeting of elders and shaikhs.
  • Indeed, the absence of official elders was a source of wonder to visitors from systems run by a selected few.
  • Some, like Monta o, believe to this day that the city killed their elders.
  • The Oaks are the Elders of the Forest and the others are aware of it.
  • The weary elders of the 1980s take revenge at last upon the hapless victims of the 1960s.
  • But he actually proved even better than I thought.
  • He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
  • I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
  • It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
  • Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
  • There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
  • This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
  • What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
  • And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
  • He says the new films are better than ever.
  • Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
  • The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
  • The National Health Service is now better than ever.
  • The opportunities now are better than ever.
  • This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
  • Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
  • I think the men fared better than the women.
  • It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
  • It still fared better than the broader market.
  • Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
  • Not faring well, but resting.
  • Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
  • The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
  • There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► I must/I’d better be getting along► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► somebody had better/best do something► kiss something better
  • Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
  • Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
  • The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
  • But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
  • Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
  • Guess he should have known better.
  • Now you know better, thass all.
  • Then I would have known better.
  • Time you knew better, young lady.
  • Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
  • While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► light years ahead/better etc than something
  • We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
  • Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
  • And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
  • Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along
  • Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
  • I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
  • Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
  • Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
  • Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
  • Converse drank the better part of the rum.
  • For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
  • I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
  • It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
  • This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► better Red than dead
  • I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
  • Anyway, better safe than sorry.
  • The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
  • Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
  • Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
  • We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
  • Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
  • I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
  • If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
  • Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
  • The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
  • We were a darned sight better than them.
  • The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
  • They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
  • A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
  • But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
  • He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
  • It wasn't a very good start.
  • Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
  • The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
  • The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
  • They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
  • And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
  • But perhaps the early evening was better still?
  • He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
  • I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
  • I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
  • Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
  • Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
  • With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
  • Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
  • She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
  • But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
  • But then she thought better of it.
  • Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
  • He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
  • He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
  • He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
  • Then he thought better of it.
► two heads are better than one
  • Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
  • Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...
1[comparative of good] more useful, interesting, satisfactory, effective, suitable etc OPP  worse:  Your stereo is better than mine. There must be a better way to do this. a better-quality carmuch/a lot/far better We now have a much better understanding of the disease.better still/even better It was even better than last year. ► Better is a comparative form. Don’t say ‘more better’.2[comparative of well] a)more healthy or less ill or painful than before OPP  worse:  She is a little better today, the doctor says. I’m feeling much better, thank you. b)completely well again after an illness:  When you’re better we can see about planning a trip. I hope he gets better (=recovers from an illness) soon.► see thesaurus at healthy3it is better/it would be better used to give your opinion or make a suggestion about what you think should be done or happenit is better to do something It’s much better to get a proper written agreement.better if It might be better if you stayed here.4get better to improve:  Her English isn’t really getting any better. Things can only get better.5no better a)not better than something else or something before:  The following day the weather was no better. b)used to say that something is the bestthere is no better way/example/place etc There’s no better way of exploring the region.6nothing better a)used to say that you really like something or think that something is very goodlike/love/enjoy nothing better (than) She likes nothing better than a nice long walk along the beach. There’s nothing better than beating someone who’s playing well. b)used to say that a thing or situation is not very good, but is the only thing possible or availablehave nothing better to do Have you got nothing better to do than sit there playing that silly game? I only picked it up because there was nothing better to read.7that’s better spoken used to say that something has improved, that you are happier or more comfortable, or to encourage someone:  Ah, that’s better. I needed to sit down. ‘Can you turn it down?’ ‘Is that better?’8 better late than never spoken used to say that it is better for someone or something to be late than never to arrive or happen at all → your better half/other half at half2(8), → the best/better part of something at part1(9), → against your better judgment at judgment(1), → somebody’s better nature at nature(2), → better luck next time at luck1(14), → better the devil you know at devil(11), → have seen better days at see1(29)THESAURUSbetter the comparative of good: · She wants a better job.· The sales figures were far better than expected.· Lucy’s better at French than I am.superior better, especially in quality: · German cars are far superior.· a superior product· He thinks men are superior to women.preferable formal more suitable or useful – used when saying which one you prefer: · Cash would be preferable.· Anything would be preferable to the system we have now.be an improvement on something to be better than something that existed before: · The engine is a huge improvement on previous diesel engines.have the edge to be slightly better than another person or thing – used especially when saying which one will win in a game or competition: · Federer is likely to have the edge in Sunday’s game.· For me, this film has the edge over the others.be miles ahead (of somebody/something) (also be streets ahead (of somebody/something) British English) informal to be very much better than someone or something that you are competing against: · The company is streets ahead of its rivals.there’s no comparison spoken used to emphasize that one person or thing is clearly much better than someone or something else: · There’s no comparison between the two teams.· ‘Which apartment do you prefer?’ ‘Well, there’s no comparison. The first one we saw is bigger, quieter, and has much nicer furniture.’
better1 adjectivebetter2 adverbbetter3 nounbetter4 verb
betterbetter2 ●●● S1 W1 adverb [comparative of well] Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • Hospitals are much better equipped now.
  • I liked his last movie better.
  • Ralph would be able to explain this a lot better than I can.
  • Relief agencies are hoping to cope better with the famine than they did in 1990.
  • The car is running much better since I put in new spark plugs.
  • This country's people are wealthier, healthier, and better educated than ever before.
  • Vidal is better known as a novelist.
  • You can see much better from up here.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • Apparently the networks-feeling that minorities were better served elsewhere-decided they themselves had no obligation to show minority faces.
  • I thought we played much better in the third period.
Thesaurus
Longman Language Activatorbetter than someone or something else
· We could either go to Florida or California -- which do you think is better?better than · Your job is better than mine.· My sister is a better student than me.· The sales figures were better than we expected.better at something/doing something · Lucy's better at mathematics than I am.far better/much better/a lot better · His latest novel is far better than anything he's written before.better quality · Consumers are demanding lower prices, better quality, and a larger selection of goods.
products, skills, or services that are superior are better than those that they are competing against: · Our aim is to provide our clients with a superior service at all times.· The company has a reputation for superior technology and customer loyalty.superior to: · They claimed that a vegetarian diet was superior to a meat diet.
written goods or services that are of a higher standard or higher quality are better than they were previously or better than goods or services of a similar kind: · In the mid-eighties, American consumers began to purchase more and more Japanese products, believing they were better value and of higher quality.of a higher standard/of higher quality than: · Government officials are claiming that the health care available here is of a much higher standard than in neighbouring countries.
informal to be much better and more enjoyable than something else: · Jake's home-made burgers beat anything you can get at fast-food restaurants.beat doing something: · It's not a particularly good job, but it certainly beats being unemployed.
informal clearly better than others of the same type: · Musicians of the time admitted that the Ellington Orchestra was a cut above all others.a cut above the rest: · The first applicant we interviewed was definitely a cut above the rest.
to be slightly better than something or someone else: have the edge on/over something: · Their new laptop computer seems to have the edge on the competition.have the edge on/over somebody: · Having spent a year in Brazil, she hoped she would have the edge over the other language students.
to be better, more effective, and more useful than something else, especially because of a particular feature: have an advantage over something: · The fact that this computer is so simple to use means that it has an advantage over most other systems.have a distinct advantage over something (=have a clear advantage over something): · For certain types of work, natural wood has distinct advantages over plastics.
to be much more skilful and more successful at doing something than someone else: be more than a match for somebody: · When it comes to TV debates, Senator Murphy's more than a match for any of his rivals.be more than a match for something: · The rebel army's tactics are more than a match for the nation's military forces.
better than something of the usual type, for example by being more enjoyable, more useful, or of higher quality: · I don't want an ordinary wedding. I want something special.· Of my nine gold medals, this one is the most special.· Some aides privately complain that the Senator receives special treatment.
very much better than someone or something
informal to be clearly doing very much better at something than someone else: · Winger's stands head and shoulders above every other restaurant in town.· Kander and Ebb are head and shoulders above the others writing for the musical theater these days.
spoken use this to emphasize that one person or thing is clearly much better than someone or something else: · "Which apartment do you prefer?'' "Well, there's no comparison. The first one we saw is bigger, quieter, and has much nicer furniture.''
British to be so much better than others that their achievements are made to seem ordinary: · Coca Cola's prize-winning advertising campaign has put all others in the shade.· The generous response of the public to the disaster puts the government's contribution somewhat in the shade.
written to be so much better than someone or something else that they are made to seem unimportant and not worth paying any attention to: · Channel 5's tremendous line-up of TV programmes has eclipsed its competitors' best efforts.· Eclipsed by the US champion at last year's Olympic Games, Schofield has decided to retire.
if someone is in a different league , they are so much better and more skilful than someone who does similar work that it would be stupid even to compare them: · You can't possibly compare Thomas Hardy and Wilkie Collins - Hardy is in a different league.
to be so much better than someone else that they feel slightly embarrassed by their own lack of skill or quality: · The elegant way she was dressed put the rest of us to shame.· Acapulco is a cosmopolitan city with a nightlife that puts Rio to shame.
informal to perform with much greater skill than someone else in a competitive activity such as a sport or an argument: run rings around somebody: · It's no use arguing with Sophie -- she can run rings around anyone who disagrees with her.· Tottenham Hotspur are running rings around Arsenal in the most exciting cup final in years.
British informal to be very much better than something of the same type or than someone you are competing with: be streets ahead of: · The script is original and funny, streets ahead of any other situation comedy.· We don't need to worry about this year's sales figures -- they're streets ahead of the competition.
British to be so much better at something than other people that they cannot possibly compete successfully with you: · It seems that in this campaign the Labour candidate has left the opposition standing.· Julie's an excellent typist -- her speed and accuracy leave the rest of us standing.
to reach a higher standard than someone or something else
· The British champion has completed the course in three minutes -- let's see if his Canadian rival can do better.do better than · If you are saving 5 percent of your income each year, you're doing better than most people.· Harris argued that the economy is doing better than it was five years ago.
to do better than someone you are competing with, especially because you want to prove that you are better: · Kids always try to outdo each other in attracting the teacher's attention.· Western Europe and Japan managed to outdo their American competitors in some economic areas.
written to be clearly more attractive, popular, or skilful than someone else: · The young Japanese violinist outshone every other musician at the concert.· Kelly was outstanding and outshone every other player on the field.
to perform with much greater skill or success than someone or something else: · For the third time this season, Celtic outclassed their local rivals, Rangers, last night.· There's never been a jet engine to outclass the Rolls Royce Avon.
to do very much better than someone or something else, especially when the person or thing you are competing with used to be of the same standard: · The new magazine's circulation of 210,000 outstrips that of all of its closest competitors.· Girls are now outstripping boys in all school subjects.
to develop or increase more quickly than someone or something else and become bigger, better, or more advanced than them: · The Clippers played better in the second half but couldn't overtake the Rockets and lost by eight points.· Some are predicting that India could overtake China as the world's most populous country before 2050.
better than before
· The following day, the weather was a little better.better than · People's general health is a lot better these days than it used to be.get better · Your Spanish is definitely getting better.far better/much better/a lot better · Angie spent last week painting her bedroom -- it looks much better.
better than before as a result of changes that have been made -- used especially when selling or advertising a product: · Perhaps you'd like to have a look at our new improved model?· Garrett believes the new system will allow him to lower prices and provide improved service to customers.much/greatly/vastly improved: · This vastly improved information system means that doctors can see patients' medical histories at the flick of a switch.
to be better than something similar, such as a product or method, that existed before: be an improvement on something: · The new heating system is certainly an improvement on the old one.be a big improvement on something: · I wouldn't say it was my favorite show, but it's a big improvement on her last series.
spoken say this when something that is not happening or being done in the way that you want suddenly gets better: · Faster, faster -- good, that's more like it.· What's wrong with this TV set? It doesn't seem to be working -- ah, that's more like it.
to do something better than before
to reach a higher standard than you reached before: · I was convinced that many of the students could have done better if they'd tried.· Mark ran the distance in 30 minutes in the fall, but we're hoping he'll do better this season.
to do something better than before or make it better than before, especially by working harder: improve on/upon something: · I'm sure you could improve on your assignment if you spent a little more time on it.· Hughes is anxious for the chance to improve upon last year's 11th place finish.
what you say when someone or something is late
spoken say this when someone arrives very late and you want to know why, because you are worried or annoyed: · Where have you been? You said you'd be here at three!
spoken say this when someone arrives late and you are a little annoyed: · "What kept you?" "I couldn't find my glasses."
British /it's about time American spoken say this when someone or something arrives or does something late, and you are annoyed because you have been waiting a long time: · "Look, here's the bus." "It's about time!"
British spoken say this when you are annoyed with someone because they have arrived very late: · What time do you call this, Martin? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago.
spoken say this when someone or something arrives or does something late but it does not matter very much: · "The pictures have finally arrived." "Well, better late than never."
British say this when you suddenly realize that it is later than you thought it was: · Oh my god, is that the time? I've got to go!
to like someone or something better than others
· Which bread do you prefer, brown or white?· "Which restaurant shall we go to?" "I really don't mind. Whichever one you prefer."much prefer somebody/something (=like something much better) · She doesn't like romantic fiction -- she much prefers detective stories.· Brad Pitt? Oh no, I much prefer Russell Crowe!prefer somebody/something to somebody/ something · I'm beginning to like Japanese food. I certainly prefer rice to potatoes.I'd prefer something · Dave wants to go to New York again, but I'd prefer somewhere more exotic.
especially spoken to like one person or thing more than another one: · Which do you like better, the red tie or the green one?like better than: · I like our new teacher much better than the one we had before.· There was nothing she liked better than being in the limelight in front of the press and TV cameras.
formal to prefer something - use this especially when you are discussing which one of several things should be chosen: · We could eat Chinese, Indian, or Italian. Do you have any preference?have a preference for: · The new leader has a preference for people who come from the same area of the country as he does.have no strong/particular preference (=you don't prefer any of them more than the others): · I really have no particular preference -- you choose.express a preference (=say that you prefer one rather than others): · When I asked her about where she wanted the meeting to be held she didn't express any particular preference.
British /favor American if a person or group in a position of authority or influence favours something such as a plan, idea, or system, they think it is better than the others: · President Bush was known to favor the use of military force.· In the 1930s the Bauhaus school tended to favour a technological approach to art.
spoken informal used when you want to say that you strongly prefer one type of thing: · I can't stand English men -- they're so boring. Give me an Italian any day!· Forget all your salad and beans and organic food -- give me a thick juicy steak any day!
when you should so something because it is sensible or healthy
if you should do something, it is the best thing to do because it is good for you or it will help you -- use this especially in suggestions or to give advice: · 'Do you think I should talk to a doctor about the pain in my back?' 'Yes, you should.'should do something: · Everyone keeps telling me I should give up smoking.· Should I wear the red dress or the black one?should not/shouldn't do something: · They shouldn't worry so much. Everything will be all right.should have done something (=it was the best thing to do, but someone did not do it): · I should have started saving for my retirement when I was younger.shouldn't have done something (=it was not a sensible thing to do but someone did it): · We shouldn't have bought such a big car.
use this to say that you think someone should do something because it is good for them or will help them: · The doctor told Dan he ought to exercise more.· You ought to ask Eric. I'm sure he'd be happy to help.
especially spoken use this to say that you think someone should do something because it is sensible or it will help them avoid problems: · You'd better be careful with that knife.· It was starting to snow and we thought we had better go home.
spoken say this to emphasize that you think an idea or suggestion will help someone or prevent problems: · "I'll check the oil before we set off." "Yes, that's a good idea."it's/that's a good idea to do something: · It's a good idea to photocopy your passport in case it gets stolen.
especially spoken use this to say that someone should spend the time, money, or effort needed to do something, because they will gain something useful from it: it's worth doing: · It's worth comparing a range of models before deciding which one to buy.it's worth the time/effort etc: · It's worth all the hard work and preparation to make the show a real success.it's worth it: · Get the car thoroughly checked by a professional. It may cost a bit of money but it's worth it, believe me.it's well worth it/doing something etc: · The movie was a little difficult to follow at first but it's well worth seeing.
formal if something is advisable , someone should do it or use it in order to avoid problems and succeed in what they are trying to do: · Use of the drug is not considered advisable when driving or using machinery.it is advisable to do something: · It is advisable to take some warm clothing with you, as the weather can change quite suddenly.
when you should do something because it is your duty or is right
if you should do something, it is your duty to do it, or it is the best thing to do because it is right, fair, or honest: · I don't feel like working late tonight but I suppose I should.should do something: · I think you should tell her the truth.· You really should go see him while he's in the hospital.· Should we contact Joe's parents and tell them what's happened?should not/shouldn't do something: · You shouldn't talk to your father like that.should have done something (=it was the right thing to do, but someone did not do it): · They should have given you your money back.shouldn't have done something (=it was the wrong thing to do, but someone did it): · I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you.
use this to say that someone should do something because you think that it is right or that it is the best thing to do: · "Do you think we should tell him?'' "Well, we ought to really.''ought to to do something: · You ought to go to church more often.· Do you think we ought to call the police?· The Government ought to spend more on education.ought not to do something: · I think animals have rights, and we ought not to use them for experiments.
especially spoken use this to say that you think someone should do something because it would be the correct, polite, or fair thing to do: · I had better phone Alan and tell him I'm going to be late.· You'd better apologize to your mother for forgetting her birthday.had better not do something: · We'd better not tell anyone about this just yet.had better: · "Do you think we ought to tell Jane about the money?" "Yes, I think we'd better."
use this to say that someone should do something because there is a rule that says they should, because they have been told to do it, or because it is part of their job: · You're supposed to knock before you come in.· Put that cigarette out! You're not supposed to smoke in here.· What time are we supposed to meet?· I don't know why they're blaming him -- he only did what he was supposed to.
use this to say that people think someone should do something because of their position, age etc: · In many societies women are expected to stay at home.· The employees are well-paid but they're also expected to work long hours.
spoken use this to say that someone is responsible for doing something, because it is officially part of their job, or because they have agreed to do it: · It's my job to check that the equipment is in good working order.· I thought we'd agreed it was Mike's job to send out all the invitations.
spoken say this to emphasize that a particular person is responsible for doing something: · It's up to parents to teach their children the difference between right and wrong.it's up to somebody (=a particular person is responsible for making a decision): · I really don't think we should have to work on Saturday but it's not up to me.
use this to say that someone should do something because it is their legal or moral duty: · It is the judge's duty to give a fair summary of both sides of the case.· The government has a duty to provide education for every child.
what you say when you want to warn someone
spoken say this to urgently warn someone that they will have an accident if they do not immediately try to avoid it: · "Look out!" yelled Willie. "He's got a gun!"· Look out! There's a train coming!· Watch out! You nearly hit that car.
British spoken use this to warn someone not to touch something or do something that would be dangerous or cause trouble: · Mind the table Charlotte, there are drinks on it.mind/mind out: · Mind! The plate's hot.· Mind out! There's a motorcycle!mind you don't do something: · The cat's down there - mind you don't tread on him.mind how you go (=used to warn someone to walk carefully to avoid slipping or falling): · Mind how you go. The path's a bit slippery.
use this to warn someone that what they are doing could be dangerous: · "Watch out!" yelled the driver, as the truck veered towards his car.· Watch it! You nearly knocked my head off with that ladder.
spoken use this to warn someone that what they are doing could be dangerous: · I handed Phil the heavy revolver. "Be careful, it's loaded."· Be careful, it's very hot.be careful with: · Hey! Be careful with that cigarette!be careful/take care not to do something: · Be careful not to do anything that might make him angry.
especially written used to warn people about something dangerous - usually seen on signs and official statements: · Beware. Deep water.beware of: · Beware of the dog.· Beware of falling rocks.· The police warn tourists to beware of pickpockets, especially in crowded places.beware of doing something: · Beware of accidentally starting the engine while you are cleaning the blades.
spoken informal use this to warn or advise someone that they should do something in order to avoid trouble: · "I suppose I ought to apologize." "Yes, you'd better, or she might make things difficult for you."you'd better do something: · You'd better tell the police in case they think it was your fault.· The train leaves in twenty minutes, so you'd better hurry up!
British spoken say this to warn someone that something they are determined to do is not sensible and will probably end badly: · Never have an affair with a work colleague - they usually end in tears.it'll (all) end in tears: · My common sense told me: "Stay away! It'll end in tears!"
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
 Potter is better known for his TV work.
 You had better not tell Oliver (=it is not a good idea).
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler.
 I feel a bit better now.
British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it)
(=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary.
(also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better.
 The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago.
(=much better, bigger etc)
(=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was.
(=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment.
 It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better.
 Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes.
 We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens.
 His voice was little more than a whisper.
(=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things.
 Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable.
 I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past!
 I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us.
(=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway!
· Renting a house may be a better option than buying.
· Workers demanded higher pay.
 You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened).
· The law should give greater protection to victims.
 The results were a shade better than we expected.
 Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
 January’s sales were slightly better than average.
 Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market.
 Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them).
· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· The result is an epidermis which is better able to mimic the softness and freshness of younger skin.· As a child becomes better able to generalize across stimuli, schemata become more refined.· Handling and ride in the 5-Series is already legendary, and this engine is better able to make the most of it.· She is better able to focus on simpler pictures.· Before the recession, businesses were better able to absorb the problem.· A watercourse viewed primarily as an effluent carrier will be thought better able to tolerate further pollution.· It was agreed that he might return to work from the hospital when he felt better able to cope.· Burns and Stalker found that organic structures were better able to respond to change than mechanistic ones.
VERB
· The first is that Luftwaffe defences became better, too, and that caused a high price to be paid in terms of casualties.· And that might help them become better socialized.· This section will therefore only touch on some of the techniques which have become better understood as the result of scientific research.· You can become better at distinguishing between team versus individual and process versus function only by making choices and moving forward.· At the same time both the army and the navy became better equipped.· Independence and transcending childhood require personality development, not becoming better at a particular task, or doing battle with external difficulties.· The little-known cast is unlikely to become better known.· As a child becomes better able to generalize across stimuli, schemata become more refined.
· Surely they deserve better than this.· I do remember thinking he deserved better.· Surely he deserves better of me than to gaze at him with my policeman's eyes.· Most of the time, though I knew she deserved better, I went ahead and sent them anyway.· They're worth watching and they deserve better than they're getting, but they've got to sharpen up in front of goal.· I figured he deserved better from Ryan, and said so.· He thought she deserved better than that after all her troubles.· Starostin deserves better: he virtually made Spartak.
· He did better junior year, despite the fact that he spent nearly all of it arguing with the priests.· Hoffert said the business grossed about $ 285,000 last year, and will do better in 2000.· The Labour party did badly in May 1997 and can do better.· Only the Crabbe Huson Special Fund did better.· Alamaro and Patrick think they can do better.· At this she played cards with a bridge-a-matic, that she might do better in the neighborhood club.· Not only do girls generally do better with language, reading, and writing; they are also socially more adept.· It is rarely about disloyalty but invariably about clients believing they can do better.
· Few orchestras are better equipped, so you would think, than the Chicago Symphony.· Each bit of progress makes the individual child better equipped to deal with the demands of life.· Confiscated boats and planes could be used by law enforcement agencies and seized money used to train and better equip the forces.· But no one was better equipped for the psychological warfare that lay ahead.· Sometimes they are better equipped than the police itself and have good connections with the West.· In every way save one, this is a campaign that Bush is still better equipped than McCain to fight and win.· Few hotels are better equipped for a Club holiday.· With books like this we shall be much better equipped lo make a contribution.
· It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.· Other home builders are thought to have fared better.· There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.· But investors in the rest of the Southeast fared better.· The Nationalists fared better in their foreign dealings.· Dance based on ethnic themes fared better.· After lunch he fared better returning a 76, taking only 35 shots on the inward nine.· If managing diversity comes to be viewed as a business issue rather than an ethical one, minorities might actually fare better.
· Regular exercise could help you - and your child - to feel better, look better and be more alert.· A few choice words here and there can make you feel better, and they might get your point across.· We'd got some work behind us at last, and felt better for it.· The reduction in scrolling and window swapping has made the whole computer feel better and more relaxing to use.· It makes people feel better to pretend otherwise.· After a few minutes he felt better, so he rose and walked upstairs.· I better feel your glove, Ting.
· She'd better get used to it, Guy thought inflexibly.· Things are going good now and they can only get better.· It was then getting on for three in the morning, but in the last quarter of an hour things had been getting better.· This four-day Grandaddy of Arizona ethnic celebrations just keeps getting better.· When I was getting better, he told me some of the local news.· The neighborhood has been getting better and better, he said.· Look, Neil, you'd better get along to the blue drawing room.· On the one hand, sophomore shows are getting better, as some of the third-year shows did before them.
· However, for the twelfth century we are much better informed about the rapidly expanding wine trade.· The task of assessing this forceful leader must necessarily be left to others more competent and better informed than myself.· But you'd better inform Freddy Swanson immediately that there is a problem.· As companies get leaner and better informed, they are much quicker to take action.· An editorial in the latest issue said the event would be a unique opportunity to become better informed and to browse.· You'd better inform Toronto and Montreal.· And being better informed they say, will help those like Gillis to a better recovery.
· The basic premise is that they think they know better than anyone else.· This astonishing question was asked by a corporate medical department nurse who should know better.· Once established in Bactria, the Yuezhi are far better known in the West as the Kushans.· Kubo is better known for his skill as a political strategist than for his financial acumen.· I knew better than to inquire.· If their pediatrician is telling them to wait, that their child will outgrow it, the parents know better.
· Now, if that's all I'd better leave.· Some things were better left unsaid.· I told them there was nothing much more we could usefully do there and we'd better leave before we were ejected.· In fact, for both economic and cultural reasons, elite Western workers are often better left behind these days.· Maybe some things were better left to the natural course of time.· He has invented a special fish dish which he calls Salmon Butter Yaki, better left undescribed.· In that case we had better leave.· Some subjects, I'd learned during the weeks I followed Oscar Wilde, were better left only as implications.
· It looked better inland, so we decided to go and have a look.· Then they began to look better.· Women who looked better as they got older.· Shaq himself has always looked better in commercials than on the court.· The love affair gave him new life, he looked better, drank less and stayed away from the cafés.· We were ecstatically happy together, and life had never looked better.· Meadows and woodlands are better looked after, but that still leaves many different habitats that do not have sufficient protection.· He stirred again, but she saw that he looked better.
· They may be better placed financially than many tenants, but their security of tenure can end with retirement.· The world will be a much better place to live in in about 1, 000 days.· And the wretched thing is that Gore is no better placed.· But what better place for Swindon to score their first league win of the season.· What better place to start than on our own doorstep, with the world famous collections of the Barber Institute?· Unionists had a majority in Lloyd George's war cabinet, but were little better placed in his government as a whole.
· The team plays better with Strachan out!!!· It just makes us play better.· In fact, his colleagues know that if Levi is challenging, they had better play their best golf.· Worldwide, there might be two hundred people who play better than Peter.· But Jahangir admitted Dittmar had never played better.· It might have played better at five hours, rather than six.· The three works collected here have never before been better played.· Some people thought Peter would play better if he spent more money, but he failed to see any logic in that.
· Apparently the networks-feeling that minorities were better served elsewhere-decided they themselves had no obligation to show minority faces.· Also, are my present investments wise, and if not, where might my money better serve me?· Other origins for the structure might be as well or better served by hot dark matter.· Kelvim Escobar did a strong job setting up closer Billy Koch, but the team is better served if he can start.· In terms both of quantity and quality, few composers before 1600 have been better served by the record industry.· Surely justice has never been better served.· With his great hands, Jimmy returned the fast serve better than anyone in the history of the game.· Since 1990 it has looked to career academies as a way to restructure its high schools and better serve its students.
· So you'd better start packing - don't forget a cagoule.· Those other guys better start working harder.· If she wanted to hang on to the shreds of her professional reputation she'd better start by controlling her haywire emotions.· He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.· But they'd better start thinking about how they are going to pay for it.· I think I'd better go for Dersingham and you'd better start keeping tabs on Hereward.
· On the whole, feminists throughout the period agreed that women were better suited by nature to home-related tasks than were men.· On any other label, this could be the recipe for lackluster recordings by players better suited for small groups.· I decided the bird was far better suited to the conditions than me.· Rain had fallen all morning, leaving the field better suited for mud wrestling than for football.· The system is a heavy user of both men and machines and so is probably better suited to contractors and larger farmers.· Light and nimble, it was better suited to the terrain.· She is much better suited to this B format, and coronet is reissuing its titles in B during this year.· Nubby fabrics, for example, better suit a casual style, while smooth fabrics are more formal.
· He is incredulous when she says that some people might think better of Jason for confessing his fear.· He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.· Then he thought better of it.· Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.· But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.· Only the mother of the frightened girl started to say something, but thought better of it.· But then she thought better of it.· Norms are changing, and men better think about what they do.
· Now he has had a chance to work with them and perhaps better understands the intricacies of their job.· We often watch Western women to understand better how to act like a man.· But it is possible to understand better the man behind those achievements.· S Department of Defense in the hopes of understanding better the concept of deception.· It does help our chances of success however, if we can better understand why reef fish are aggressive towards each other.· Promote effective two-way communication between employees at all levels to understand better the problems and concerns that affect productivity; 7.· Perhaps in the future we may come to better understand more complex processes, such as memory and learning.· But it is better understood as a shift in the continuity-producing frame.
· Raise the tank temperature to 70°F. before adding it as it works better at higher temperatures.· When you make both the software and the hardware, as Apple does, things work better.· If it is run twice on similar data, it will probably work better the second time.· We continue to have the races working better together.· According to the researchers, the new cell actually works better under cloud cover than in full sunlight.· Graphic animal prints usually work better with strong colors than pastels.· Gel is less sticky than mousse and works better with curly hair.· Newer ones are said to work better, and there are things you can do to increase your comfort level.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • Beth Wolff, president of her own residential real estate company, likes to go one better.
  • But even if Forbes loses his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, he may still go one better than his father.
  • Ford went one better and put 60 two-stroke Fiestas on the roads.
  • Laker's return of 9 for 37 was outstanding, but he was to go one better when the Aussies followed on.
  • Like an aphid, then, the caterpillar employs ants as bodyguards, but it goes one better.
  • She goes one better than last year.
  • The Bristol & West have now gone one better than the standard endowment mortgage.
  • They have followed each other up the ladder, but whenever he has reached the same rung she has gone one better.
  • I'd better not go out tonight; I'm really tired.
  • You'd better phone Julie to say you'll be late.
  • After what he has now said about a referendum, he had better watch out.
  • Any organisation dismissing that vision as science-fiction had better look out.
  • But Walter is a poor shade of what we have had better done.
  • He thought he had better reread that part of the book.
  • I did not want to go, but Dana said we had better do as they asked.
  • I realized I had better hustle him out of there before he was asked about his acting career.
  • In April 1911, he seemingly had better luck.
  • They told Weary that he and Billy had better find somebody to surrender to.
  • Harris argued that the economy is doing better than it was five years ago.
  • I was convinced that many of the students could have done better if they'd tried.
  • If you are saving 5 percent of your income each year, you're doing better than most people.
  • Mark ran the distance in 30 minutes in the fall, but we're hoping he'll do better this season.
  • Some roses do better in different types of soil.
  • The British champion has completed the course in three minutes -- let's see if his Canadian rival can do better.
  • We did better than we expected.
  • Alamaro and Patrick think they can do better.
  • Incumbents who vote against new regulations, paperwork and taxes -- usually conservatives -- do better on the scorecard.
  • It leads to a lethargy I think we do better without.
  • Some may do better than our scenario represents.
  • Surely we can do better for people with mental problems and their families?
  • The index did better than the broader market.
  • We can do better than that now.
  • We need to do better than that, and we can.
► the sooner the better/the bigger the better etcPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
  • He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
  • His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
  • If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
  • It makes it all the more opportune.
  • Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
  • The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
  • The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
  • Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
  • "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
  • Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
  • Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
  • His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
  • It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
  • Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
  • The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
  • The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc
  • Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
  • I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
  • Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour
  • For our purposes it may be more helpful to use the idea of desire when assessing elders.
  • He roused himself wearily to exchange greetings with the elders as they passed him, and went in to his foster-father.
  • In this respect at least, the procedures reflected those of a lineage or tribal meeting of elders and shaikhs.
  • Indeed, the absence of official elders was a source of wonder to visitors from systems run by a selected few.
  • Some, like Monta o, believe to this day that the city killed their elders.
  • The Oaks are the Elders of the Forest and the others are aware of it.
  • The weary elders of the 1980s take revenge at last upon the hapless victims of the 1960s.
  • But he actually proved even better than I thought.
  • He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
  • I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
  • It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
  • Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
  • There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
  • This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
  • What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
  • And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
  • He says the new films are better than ever.
  • Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
  • The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
  • The National Health Service is now better than ever.
  • The opportunities now are better than ever.
  • This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
  • Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
  • I think the men fared better than the women.
  • It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
  • It still fared better than the broader market.
  • Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
  • Not faring well, but resting.
  • Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
  • The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
  • There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► I must/I’d better be getting along► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► somebody had better/best do something► kiss something better
  • Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
  • Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
  • The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
  • But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
  • Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
  • Guess he should have known better.
  • Now you know better, thass all.
  • Then I would have known better.
  • Time you knew better, young lady.
  • Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
  • While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► light years ahead/better etc than something
  • We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
  • Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
  • And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
  • Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along
  • Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
  • I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
  • Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
  • Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
  • Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
  • Converse drank the better part of the rum.
  • For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
  • I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
  • It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
  • This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► better Red than dead
  • I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
  • Anyway, better safe than sorry.
  • The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
  • Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
  • Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
  • We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
  • Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
  • I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
  • If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
  • Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
  • The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
  • We were a darned sight better than them.
  • The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
  • They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
  • A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
  • But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
  • He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
  • It wasn't a very good start.
  • Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
  • The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
  • The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
  • They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
  • And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
  • But perhaps the early evening was better still?
  • He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
  • I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
  • I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
  • Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
  • Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
  • With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
  • Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
  • She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
  • But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
  • But then she thought better of it.
  • Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
  • He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
  • He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
  • He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
  • Then he thought better of it.
► two heads are better than one
  • Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
  • Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...
1to a higher standard or quality OPP  worse:  He can speak French a lot better than I can. Your bike will run better if you oil it. → fare better at fare22to a higher degree SYN  more:  She knows this town better than you do. I think I like the red one better. Potter is better known for his TV work.3had better a)used to give advice about what someone should do, or to say what you should do or need to do:  I’d better go and get ready. I think you’d better ask Jo first. You had better not tell Oliver (=it is not a good idea). b)used to threaten someone:  You’d better keep your mouth shut about this. ► In speech, people usually shorten had to ’d, and may not pronounce it at all. But do not leave out had or ’d in writing: You’d better (NOT You better) come here!4do better to perform better or reach a higher standard:  We did better than all the other schools.5the sooner the better/the bigger the better etc used to emphasize that you would prefer something to happen as soon as possible, want something to be as big as possible etc:  School finishes at the end of the week, and the sooner the better as far as I’m concerned. The younger you start learning a language, the better you’ll speak it.6go one better (than somebody) informal to do something more successfully than someone else:  The following year Lewis went one better by winning the gold medal. Of course, they had to go one better and have the whole garden redesigned. → better off
better1 adjectivebetter2 adverbbetter3 nounbetter4 verb
betterbetter3 ●●○ noun Examples
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • Bored in the isolation of his taxi, curiosity and perhaps hunger got the better of him.
  • On many other issues where he and Mr Bush differ we similarly believe Mr Gore has the better of the argument.
Thesaurus
Longman Language Activatorbetter than someone or something else
· We could either go to Florida or California -- which do you think is better?better than · Your job is better than mine.· My sister is a better student than me.· The sales figures were better than we expected.better at something/doing something · Lucy's better at mathematics than I am.far better/much better/a lot better · His latest novel is far better than anything he's written before.better quality · Consumers are demanding lower prices, better quality, and a larger selection of goods.
products, skills, or services that are superior are better than those that they are competing against: · Our aim is to provide our clients with a superior service at all times.· The company has a reputation for superior technology and customer loyalty.superior to: · They claimed that a vegetarian diet was superior to a meat diet.
written goods or services that are of a higher standard or higher quality are better than they were previously or better than goods or services of a similar kind: · In the mid-eighties, American consumers began to purchase more and more Japanese products, believing they were better value and of higher quality.of a higher standard/of higher quality than: · Government officials are claiming that the health care available here is of a much higher standard than in neighbouring countries.
informal to be much better and more enjoyable than something else: · Jake's home-made burgers beat anything you can get at fast-food restaurants.beat doing something: · It's not a particularly good job, but it certainly beats being unemployed.
informal clearly better than others of the same type: · Musicians of the time admitted that the Ellington Orchestra was a cut above all others.a cut above the rest: · The first applicant we interviewed was definitely a cut above the rest.
to be slightly better than something or someone else: have the edge on/over something: · Their new laptop computer seems to have the edge on the competition.have the edge on/over somebody: · Having spent a year in Brazil, she hoped she would have the edge over the other language students.
to be better, more effective, and more useful than something else, especially because of a particular feature: have an advantage over something: · The fact that this computer is so simple to use means that it has an advantage over most other systems.have a distinct advantage over something (=have a clear advantage over something): · For certain types of work, natural wood has distinct advantages over plastics.
to be much more skilful and more successful at doing something than someone else: be more than a match for somebody: · When it comes to TV debates, Senator Murphy's more than a match for any of his rivals.be more than a match for something: · The rebel army's tactics are more than a match for the nation's military forces.
better than something of the usual type, for example by being more enjoyable, more useful, or of higher quality: · I don't want an ordinary wedding. I want something special.· Of my nine gold medals, this one is the most special.· Some aides privately complain that the Senator receives special treatment.
very much better than someone or something
informal to be clearly doing very much better at something than someone else: · Winger's stands head and shoulders above every other restaurant in town.· Kander and Ebb are head and shoulders above the others writing for the musical theater these days.
spoken use this to emphasize that one person or thing is clearly much better than someone or something else: · "Which apartment do you prefer?'' "Well, there's no comparison. The first one we saw is bigger, quieter, and has much nicer furniture.''
British to be so much better than others that their achievements are made to seem ordinary: · Coca Cola's prize-winning advertising campaign has put all others in the shade.· The generous response of the public to the disaster puts the government's contribution somewhat in the shade.
written to be so much better than someone or something else that they are made to seem unimportant and not worth paying any attention to: · Channel 5's tremendous line-up of TV programmes has eclipsed its competitors' best efforts.· Eclipsed by the US champion at last year's Olympic Games, Schofield has decided to retire.
if someone is in a different league , they are so much better and more skilful than someone who does similar work that it would be stupid even to compare them: · You can't possibly compare Thomas Hardy and Wilkie Collins - Hardy is in a different league.
to be so much better than someone else that they feel slightly embarrassed by their own lack of skill or quality: · The elegant way she was dressed put the rest of us to shame.· Acapulco is a cosmopolitan city with a nightlife that puts Rio to shame.
informal to perform with much greater skill than someone else in a competitive activity such as a sport or an argument: run rings around somebody: · It's no use arguing with Sophie -- she can run rings around anyone who disagrees with her.· Tottenham Hotspur are running rings around Arsenal in the most exciting cup final in years.
British informal to be very much better than something of the same type or than someone you are competing with: be streets ahead of: · The script is original and funny, streets ahead of any other situation comedy.· We don't need to worry about this year's sales figures -- they're streets ahead of the competition.
British to be so much better at something than other people that they cannot possibly compete successfully with you: · It seems that in this campaign the Labour candidate has left the opposition standing.· Julie's an excellent typist -- her speed and accuracy leave the rest of us standing.
to reach a higher standard than someone or something else
· The British champion has completed the course in three minutes -- let's see if his Canadian rival can do better.do better than · If you are saving 5 percent of your income each year, you're doing better than most people.· Harris argued that the economy is doing better than it was five years ago.
to do better than someone you are competing with, especially because you want to prove that you are better: · Kids always try to outdo each other in attracting the teacher's attention.· Western Europe and Japan managed to outdo their American competitors in some economic areas.
written to be clearly more attractive, popular, or skilful than someone else: · The young Japanese violinist outshone every other musician at the concert.· Kelly was outstanding and outshone every other player on the field.
to perform with much greater skill or success than someone or something else: · For the third time this season, Celtic outclassed their local rivals, Rangers, last night.· There's never been a jet engine to outclass the Rolls Royce Avon.
to do very much better than someone or something else, especially when the person or thing you are competing with used to be of the same standard: · The new magazine's circulation of 210,000 outstrips that of all of its closest competitors.· Girls are now outstripping boys in all school subjects.
to develop or increase more quickly than someone or something else and become bigger, better, or more advanced than them: · The Clippers played better in the second half but couldn't overtake the Rockets and lost by eight points.· Some are predicting that India could overtake China as the world's most populous country before 2050.
better than before
· The following day, the weather was a little better.better than · People's general health is a lot better these days than it used to be.get better · Your Spanish is definitely getting better.far better/much better/a lot better · Angie spent last week painting her bedroom -- it looks much better.
better than before as a result of changes that have been made -- used especially when selling or advertising a product: · Perhaps you'd like to have a look at our new improved model?· Garrett believes the new system will allow him to lower prices and provide improved service to customers.much/greatly/vastly improved: · This vastly improved information system means that doctors can see patients' medical histories at the flick of a switch.
to be better than something similar, such as a product or method, that existed before: be an improvement on something: · The new heating system is certainly an improvement on the old one.be a big improvement on something: · I wouldn't say it was my favorite show, but it's a big improvement on her last series.
spoken say this when something that is not happening or being done in the way that you want suddenly gets better: · Faster, faster -- good, that's more like it.· What's wrong with this TV set? It doesn't seem to be working -- ah, that's more like it.
to do something better than before
to reach a higher standard than you reached before: · I was convinced that many of the students could have done better if they'd tried.· Mark ran the distance in 30 minutes in the fall, but we're hoping he'll do better this season.
to do something better than before or make it better than before, especially by working harder: improve on/upon something: · I'm sure you could improve on your assignment if you spent a little more time on it.· Hughes is anxious for the chance to improve upon last year's 11th place finish.
to beat someone in a game, competition, election etc
to get more points, votes etc than an opposing team or political party: · Do you think the Socialists will beat the Liberals in the election?· Brazil beat Italy in the final.· Lewis was a tough boxer, and a hard man to beat.beat somebody at something: · My Father used to let me beat him at chess.beat somebody by 20 points/5 seconds/50 votes etc: · The Swedish runner beat the Canadian by just under two seconds.beat somebody 3-1/84 to 61/etc: · The Red Sox beat the Yankees 6-3.
especially written to get more points, votes etc than an opposing team, person, or political party. Defeat is more formal than beat .: · For the sixth consecutive year, Oxford defeated Cambridge today in the annual boat race.· Polk of California was defeated by a Democratic challenger in the last election.defeat somebody by 20 points/two goals to one etc: · Sanchez defeated Dornan by just 984 votes.
especially British, spoken to defeat an opponent or team in a game - use this especially about opponents or teams of a similar ability: · She's determined not to let Smith, her fiercest rival, get the better of her.
to easily beat your opponent in a game, especially when people were not expecting you to: · I thought I might beat Tracy at tennis but she was more than a match for me.· The Russian president has once again proved more than a match for his political adversaries.
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
 a definite change for the better
 The president’s fortunes seem, at last, to have taken a turn for the better (=started to improve).
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler.
 I feel a bit better now.
British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it)
(=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary.
(also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better.
 The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago.
(=much better, bigger etc)
(=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was.
(=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment.
 It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better.
 Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes.
 We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens.
 His voice was little more than a whisper.
(=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things.
 Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable.
 I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past!
 I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us.
(=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway!
· Renting a house may be a better option than buying.
· Workers demanded higher pay.
 You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened).
· The law should give greater protection to victims.
 The results were a shade better than we expected.
 Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
 January’s sales were slightly better than average.
 Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market.
 Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them).
· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • And it was all the better for being hosted by real-deal Alice Cooper rather than fat phoney Phill Jupitus.
  • And the piece was all the better for it.
  • My grandmother therefore moulded my life, and I believe I am all the better for it.
  • Spa towns, though, are all the better for looking somewhat passé and Eaux-Bonnes is more passé than most.
  • The game at Twickenham today will be all the better for the inclusion of the National Anthem.
  • Well, a statement like that is all the better for proof, but go on, anyway.
  • The reality is that, for better or worse, the world of publishing has changed.
  • All five, for better or worse, have received recent votes of confidence from their respective general managers or team presidents.
  • And for better or worse, the new interactivity brings enormous political leverage to ordinary citizens at relatively little cost.
  • And the consequences could be even more startling, for better or for worse.
  • Decisions made in any of these places can hit our pocketbooks and our peace of mind, for better or for worse.
  • He has toted the ball and the expectations, for better or worse.
  • He was her husband ... for better or worse, he was her husband.
  • Medical students in prolonged contact with junior doctors learn attitudes by example, for better or for worse.
  • Today we know for better or for worse that cops, like doctors and priests, are merely human.
► your betters► the better
  • Alison Leigh refuses to let circumstances get the better of her.
  • Kramer's temper sometimes gets the better of him.
  • At the same time he said he had had to select his shots wisely to get the better of Chesnokov.
  • Blaise Cendrars witnessed a fight in which she was getting the better of Modigliani.
  • Bored in the isolation of his taxi, curiosity and perhaps hunger got the better of him.
  • But kids have a long tradition of getting the better of adults, going back to the Famous Five and beyond.
  • I allowed my feelings to get the better of me.
  • I run my fingers over this invisible object, and little by little curiosity gets the better of me.
  • So mortals learned that it is not possible to get the better of Zeus or ever deceive him.
  • We killed him, but that really got the better of us.
  • Anything they can do to improve children's health is for the better.
  • Besides, in some ways the change was for the better.
  • Cloud changed things, all right, and not all for the better.
  • That may be for the better.
  • The formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 did not automatically change any of that for the better.
  • The way was set for much-needed change, but would things change for the better?
  • This change has not necessarily been one for the better.
  • What about learning how to change things for the better rather than merely learning to adapt to the way things are now?
  • If it makes illegal drug use even more difficult, so much the better.
  • You can use dried parsley, but if you have fresh, so much the better.
  • And if I am Peter, so much the better.
  • And if that can change things, so much the better Female speaker He's the little man having a kick.
  • But if I can manage with fewer trips to the store, so much the better.
  • If love eventually grows, so much the better.
  • If they are alive so much the better, but they can be persuaded to take dead ones.
  • If they can fit in with the room's general style, so much the better.
  • If we can improve the team another way, so much the better.
  • So a single fluorescent tube will be adequate, and if you have used floating plants, so much the better.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
  • He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
  • His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
  • If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
  • It makes it all the more opportune.
  • Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
  • The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
  • The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
  • Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
  • "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
  • Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
  • Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
  • His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
  • It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
  • Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
  • The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
  • The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc
  • Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
  • I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
  • Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour
  • For our purposes it may be more helpful to use the idea of desire when assessing elders.
  • He roused himself wearily to exchange greetings with the elders as they passed him, and went in to his foster-father.
  • In this respect at least, the procedures reflected those of a lineage or tribal meeting of elders and shaikhs.
  • Indeed, the absence of official elders was a source of wonder to visitors from systems run by a selected few.
  • Some, like Monta o, believe to this day that the city killed their elders.
  • The Oaks are the Elders of the Forest and the others are aware of it.
  • The weary elders of the 1980s take revenge at last upon the hapless victims of the 1960s.
  • But he actually proved even better than I thought.
  • He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
  • I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
  • It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
  • Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
  • There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
  • This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
  • What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
  • And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
  • He says the new films are better than ever.
  • Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
  • The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
  • The National Health Service is now better than ever.
  • The opportunities now are better than ever.
  • This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
  • Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
  • I think the men fared better than the women.
  • It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
  • It still fared better than the broader market.
  • Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
  • Not faring well, but resting.
  • Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
  • The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
  • There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► I must/I’d better be getting along► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► somebody had better/best do something► kiss something better
  • Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
  • Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
  • The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
  • But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
  • Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
  • Guess he should have known better.
  • Now you know better, thass all.
  • Then I would have known better.
  • Time you knew better, young lady.
  • Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
  • While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► light years ahead/better etc than something
  • We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
  • Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
  • And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
  • Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along
  • Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
  • I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
  • Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
  • Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
  • Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
  • Converse drank the better part of the rum.
  • For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
  • I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
  • It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
  • This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► better Red than dead
  • I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
  • Anyway, better safe than sorry.
  • The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
  • Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
  • Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
  • We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
  • Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
  • I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
  • If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
  • Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
  • The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
  • We were a darned sight better than them.
  • The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
  • They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
  • A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
  • But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
  • He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
  • It wasn't a very good start.
  • Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
  • The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
  • The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
  • They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
  • And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
  • But perhaps the early evening was better still?
  • He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
  • I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
  • I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
  • Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
  • Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
  • With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
  • Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
  • She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
  • But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
  • But then she thought better of it.
  • Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
  • He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
  • He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
  • He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
  • Then he thought better of it.
► two heads are better than one
  • Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
  • Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...
1the better the one that is higher in quality, more suitable etc when you are comparing two similar people or things:  It’s hard to decide which one’s the better.2get the better of somebody a)if your feelings or wishes get the better of you, they make you behave in a way you would not normally behave:  My curiosity finally got the better of me and I opened the letter. I think her nerves got the better of her. b)to defeat someone or deal successfully with a problem3for the better in a way that improves the situation:  a definite change for the better The president’s fortunes seem, at last, to have taken a turn for the better (=started to improve).4so much the better used to say that something would be even better or bring even more advantages:  If they can do them both at the same time, then so much the better.5be all the better for something to be improved by a particular action, change etc:  I think it’s all the better for that extra ten minutes’ cooking.6for better or (for) worse used to say that something must be accepted, whether it is good or bad, because it cannot be changed:  Work is, for better or worse, becoming more flexible nowadays.7your betters old-fashioned people who are more important than you or deserve more respect → worse3, → elders and betters at elder2(2)
better1 adjectivebetter2 adverbbetter3 nounbetter4 verb
betterbetter4 verb [transitive] Verb Table
VERB TABLE
better
Simple Form
PresentI, you, we, theybetter
he, she, itbetters
PastI, you, he, she, it, we, theybettered
Present perfectI, you, we, theyhave bettered
he, she, ithas bettered
Past perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theyhad bettered
FutureI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill better
Future perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill have bettered
Continuous Form
PresentIam bettering
he, she, itis bettering
you, we, theyare bettering
PastI, he, she, itwas bettering
you, we, theywere bettering
Present perfectI, you, we, theyhave been bettering
he, she, ithas been bettering
Past perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theyhad been bettering
FutureI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill be bettering
Future perfectI, you, he, she, it, we, theywill have been bettering
Examples
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
  • new laws aimed at bettering economic conditions
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
  • I think you can always better programs.
  • In my view nothing betters a good ferret box.
  • Rockefeller believed society could be bettered by public spending and public architecture.
Collocations
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(=used to give advice or an opinion) He’d be better off starting with something simpler.
 I feel a bit better now.
British English, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (=used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it)
(=makes you do something that you are trying not to do)· Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary.
(also deserve a better deal) (=deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation)· They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better.
 The new system is far better than the old one. There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago.
(=much better, bigger etc)
(=think that something is the best thing to do)· Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was.
(=even though you think your action might be wrong)· I lent him the money, against my better judgment.
 It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better.
 Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes.
 We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens.
 His voice was little more than a whisper.
(=get a better job or social position – used humorously) Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things.
 Henry’s room is much bigger than mine. These shoes are much more comfortable.
 I was surprised to see how much better she was looking. How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past!
 I tried appealing to his better nature (=his feelings of kindness) but he wouldn’t agree to help us.
(=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly)· He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway!
· Renting a house may be a better option than buying.
· Workers demanded higher pay.
 You know what they say, prevention is better than cure (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened).
· The law should give greater protection to victims.
 The results were a shade better than we expected.
 Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
 January’s sales were slightly better than average.
 Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
· All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market.
 Some things are better left unsaid (=it is better not to mention them).
· I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
· And for the sheriff with his bog Buick, yes, lots better.
Phrases
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
  • A lot of people are trying to better themselves.
  • And she feels better herself - after two weeks, her headaches and tiredness have gone.
  • He doesn't criticize the vice-president marketing's expert judgement nor pretend he could do better himself.
  • I couldn't have done better myself.
  • I teach them to better themselves.
  • It is a way in which diversity and the desire to better oneself can be accommodated.
  • She would do anything to better herself.
  • Wilson speeches often praise the gumption of illegal immigrants who take risks and endure hardships to better themselves and their families.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
  • He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
  • His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
  • If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
  • It makes it all the more opportune.
  • Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
  • The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
  • The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
  • Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
► appeal to somebody’s better nature/sense of justice etc► I/you can’t/couldn’t ask for a better something► (get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
  • "Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
  • Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
  • Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
  • His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
  • It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
  • Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
  • The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
  • The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
► couldn’t be better/worse/more pleased etc
  • Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
  • I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
  • Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
► a darn sight better/harder etc► better the devil you know (than the devil you don’t)► discretion is the better part of valour
  • For our purposes it may be more helpful to use the idea of desire when assessing elders.
  • He roused himself wearily to exchange greetings with the elders as they passed him, and went in to his foster-father.
  • In this respect at least, the procedures reflected those of a lineage or tribal meeting of elders and shaikhs.
  • Indeed, the absence of official elders was a source of wonder to visitors from systems run by a selected few.
  • Some, like Monta o, believe to this day that the city killed their elders.
  • The Oaks are the Elders of the Forest and the others are aware of it.
  • The weary elders of the 1980s take revenge at last upon the hapless victims of the 1960s.
  • But he actually proved even better than I thought.
  • He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
  • I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
  • It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
  • Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
  • There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
  • This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
  • What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
  • And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
  • He says the new films are better than ever.
  • Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever.
  • The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
  • The National Health Service is now better than ever.
  • The opportunities now are better than ever.
  • This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever, with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
  • Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever.
  • I think the men fared better than the women.
  • It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
  • It still fared better than the broader market.
  • Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
  • Not faring well, but resting.
  • Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
  • The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard.
  • There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
► I must/I’d better be getting along► half a loaf (is better than none)► your better half/other half► somebody had better/best do something► kiss something better
  • Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
  • Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
  • The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
  • But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
  • Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
  • Guess he should have known better.
  • Now you know better, thass all.
  • Then I would have known better.
  • Time you knew better, young lady.
  • Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
  • While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
► light years ahead/better etc than something
  • We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
  • Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
  • And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
  • Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
► miles older/better/too difficult etc► I’d better mosey along/be moseying along
  • Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
  • I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
  • Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
  • Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
  • Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
  • Converse drank the better part of the rum.
  • For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
  • I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
  • It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
  • This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
► better Red than dead
  • I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
  • Anyway, better safe than sorry.
  • The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
  • Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
  • Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
  • We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
  • Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
  • I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
  • If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
  • Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
  • The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
  • We were a darned sight better than them.
  • The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
  • They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
  • A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
  • But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
  • He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
  • It wasn't a very good start.
  • Not a good start, but a start, nevertheless.
  • The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
  • The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start.
  • They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start, he believes.
  • And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still, averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
  • But perhaps the early evening was better still?
  • He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still, falling in.
  • I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still, a snack shop.
  • I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still.
  • Or better still, make a real talent show instead.
  • Or better still, there was the village school practically next door!
  • With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
  • Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
  • She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
  • But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
  • But then she thought better of it.
  • Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
  • He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
  • He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
  • He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
  • Then he thought better of it.
► two heads are better than one
  • Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
  • Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
► for want of anything better (to do)► I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...
1to be higher in quality, amount etc than someone or something else:  His total of five gold medals is unlikely to be bettered.2better yourself to improve your position in society by getting a better education or earning more money3formal to improve something:  bettering the lot of the working classes
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