of higher quality, more pleasant, or more useful than something or someone else.
This pizza tastes much better than the one we had yesterday.
After resting, he felt better and went back to work.
✦ Old English ‘betera’, comparative of ‘gōd’ (“good”).
in a more skillful, effective, or satisfactory way.
She plays the piano better than anyone in her class.
If you study hard, you will do better on the test.
✦ Comparative of adverb ‘well’, from Old English ‘bet’ (“better, to greater extent”).
to improve something or to become superior to something else.
Regular exercise can better your health.
The company hopes to better last year’s sales record.
✦ From Old English ‘betterian’ (“to make better”), formed from the adjective.
a person who is considered to be of higher rank, status, or ability.
He was taught to show respect to his elders and betters.
She never felt intimidated by her professional betters.
✦ Derived from the adjective, meaning “one who is better (than another)”, first recorded in Middle English.
having high quality, being pleasant, useful, or correct
She is a good friend who always helps me.
The pizza from that new restaurant tastes really good.
✦ Old English gōd, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch goed and German gut.
of the highest quality, excellence, or suitability among a group
This is the best pizza I have ever tasted.
Lisa bought the best seats for the concert so we could see everything clearly.
(informal or dialect) well; in a satisfactory manner
He can play the guitar pretty good for his age.
The team worked good together despite the pressure.
✦ Adverbial use dates back to Middle English, later considered non-standard compared to “well”.
in a good, successful, or satisfactory way
Ella plays the piano very well for her age.
If you plan the trip well, everything should go smoothly.
✦ Old English ‘wel’, from Proto-Germanic *wel- ‘according to one’s wish’.
in good health or free from illness
After a week of rest, Grandma felt well enough to go for a walk.
Are you well? You look a bit pale.
✦ Extension of the adverb sense to describe a person’s state of health, first recorded in Middle English.
in the most effective, skillful, or suitable way
Jorge plays the guitar best when he is relaxed.
Of all the candidates, Maria spoke best during the interview.
to a large degree or distance; far; considerably
The mountain peak is well over 4,000 meters high.
We arrived well before the movie started.
✦ Developed as an emphatic use of the basic adverb meaning in Early Modern English.
