betterとは意味・読み方・使い方

出典:『Wiktionary』 (2025/10/06 20:05 UTC 版)

発音

(non-rhotic) IPA: /ˈbɛt.ə/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA: [ˈbɛtʰ.ə]
- (General Australian) IPA: [ˈbeɾ.ə]
- (New Zealand) IPA: [ˈbeɾ.ɐ]
- (英国発音, t-glottalization) IPA: [ˈbeʔ.ə]
- (Dublin) IPA: [ˈbɛʔ.ɐ]
(rhotic) IPA: /ˈbɛt.əɹ/
- (General American, Canada) IPA: [ˈbɛɾ.ɚ]
- (Ireland) IPA: [ˈbɛtʰ.ɚ~ˈbɛθ̠.ɚ~ˈbɛt̪.ɚ]
- (Scotland) IPA: [ˈbɛʔ.ɚ~ˈbɛʔ.əɾ]
ハイフネーション: bet‧ter
韻: -ɛtə(ɹ)

語源 1

From 中期英語 better, bettre, betre, from 古期英語 betera (“better”), from Proto-West Germanic *batiʀō, from Proto-Germanic *batizô (“better”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰ ed-rós, from *bʰ ed- (“good”).

Cognate with Sanskrit भद्र (bhadrá, “blessed, fortunate, happy, good”) (from *bʰn̥d-ró-s). For Germanic cognates: see Proto-Germanic *batizô. Related to best and battle (“getting better, improving, fruitful, fertile”). Compare also Icelandic batna (“to improve”), bót (“improvement”), German besser. More at batten, boot.

Persian (behtar) is a false cognate.

形容詞

better (positive good, adverb well, comparative (humorous) betterer, superlative (humorous) betterest, or (standard) best)

comparative form of good: more good

How are you? ~ A little better, thanks.
- 2002 November 1, “Shindig”, in Firefly, episode 4:
  
  Badger: You think you're better than other people.
  Mal: Just the ones I'm better than.
comparative form of well: more well
Greater in amount or quantity
- 1972, Harvey Andrews, Hey Sandy:
  
  “The air was still with the lonely thrill of 'now the hour is near'
  And the smell of sweat was better yet than the awful stench of fear.”
Greater or lesser (whichever is seen as more advantageous), in reference to value, distance, time, etc.

The top electric vehicles have a range of 300 kilometres or better. (better = greater)

Only one swimmer finished the race with a time better than two minutes. (better = lesser)
Healed or recovered from an injury or illness.

We can't go to the zoo today because you're sick; let's go when you're all better.

派生語

against one's better judgment
all to the better
an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure
an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure
are you feeling better
better and better
better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
better angels
better angels of one's nature
better angels of someone 's nature
better ball
better Dead than Red
better dead than red
better dead than Red
better for it
betterfy
better half
betterhood
betterish
better is the enemy of good
better-known
better known as
better late than never
better light
better luck next time
better nature
betterness
better off
better one word in time than two afterwards
better-paid
better part of
better place
better safe than sorry
bettership
bettersome
better than a kick in the teeth
better than a poke in the eye
better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick
better than a poke in the eye with a rusty nail
better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick
better than a poke in the eye with a shitty stick
better than nothing
better than sex
better the devil you know than the devil you don't
better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
better the devil you know than the one you don't
better the devil you know than the one you don't know
better to be late than be dead on time
better to light a candle than to curse the darkness
better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness
better to light one candle than to curse the darkness
better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness
build a better mousetrap
discretion is the better part of valor
discretion is the better part of valour
do someone one better
embetter
for better or for worse
for better or worse
for the better
get better
go one better
half a loaf is better than no bread
half a loaf is better than no loaf
half a loaf is better than none
have seen better days
I couldn't have said it better myself
it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive
it's better to ask forgiveness than permission
it's better to be judged by twelve than to be carried by six
know any better
know better
make a better door than a window
no better than one ought to be
prevention is better than cure
something is better than nothing
so much the better
strictly better
take a turn for the better
the better is the enemy of the good
the devil we know is better than the devil we don't
the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know
the devil you know is better than the devil you don't
the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know
the fewer the better fare
the grey mare is the better horse
think better of
two heads are better than one
work better under pressure
you better believe it

派生した語

→ Jamaican Creole: beta

副詞

better

comparative form of well: more well

The engine runs better now that I've given it some oil.
- c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
  
  I could never better stead thee than now. […]
- 1901, Louis Couperus, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, Small Souls:
  
  “I’ve had enough of cycling with you chaps. I can spend my Sundays better than in tormenting cats and quarrelling and fighting.”

派生語

better the devil you know
had better
'd better
bettern't

名詞

better (plural betters)

An entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.

He quickly found Ali his better in the ring.
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
  
  Their betters would hardly be found.

派生語

get the better of

語源 2

Shortening of had better ('d better)

動詞

better

(modal, auxiliary verb, colloquial) Had better.

It's getting late. You better get on home.

Nobody better hurt any of my kids.

使用する際の注意点

Better in this sense has often been considered an adverb. But it is virtually synonymous with should in "We better be going." and with ought to in "We better go." Should and ought are auxiliary verbs.

参考

best

語源 3

From 中期英語 beteren, from 古期英語 beterian, betrian, from Proto-Germanic *batizōną. Cognate with West Frisian betterje (“to better”), Dutch beteren (“to better”), German bessern (“to better”), Danish bedre (“to better”), Swedish bättra (“to better”).

動詞

better (third-person singular simple present betters, present participle bettering, simple past and past participle bettered)

(transitive) To improve.

This government will better our society.
- 1815, William Wordsworth, From the same (To the Supreme Being):
  
  Love betters what is best.
- 1847 January – 1848 July, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 2, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], published 1848, →OCLC:
  
  He thought to better his circumstances.
- 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter III, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
  
  the constant effort of every man to better himself
(intransitive) To become better; to improve.
(transitive) To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.

Synonym: top
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
  
  The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered.
(transitive) To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
  
  Weapons more violent, when next we meet, / May serve to better us and worse our foes.

Conjugation

Conjugation of *better*
	present tense	past tense
infinitive	(to) better

1st-person singular	better	bettered
2nd-person singular	better
3rd-person singular	betters
plural	better

subjunctive	better	bettered

imperative	better	—

participles	bettering	bettered

同意語

See also Thesaurus:improve

派生語

betterable
betterer
betterment
unbetterable
unbettered

語源 4

Alternative spelling of bettor or modern formation from the verb to bet +‎ -er.

名詞

better (plural betters)

Alternative spelling of bettor.

参照

“better”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “better”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

中期英語

語源 1

形容詞

better

alternative form of bettre

副詞

better

alternative form of bettre

名詞

better

alternative form of bettre

語源 2

動詞

better

alternative form of beteren

be bétter than one's wórd	be the bétter for…
nò [líttle] bétter than…	nòt àny bétter than…
the bétter párt of…

(àll) the bétter for…	be bétter óff
gò a person óne bétter	had bètter /hədbèṭɚ/ dó…
knów bétter (than to dó)	knów nò bétter
thìnk bétter of…

a gòod déal	a gòod féw
a góod jób	a gòod mány
a góod óne	áll in góod tíme
as góod as	(as) góod as góld
gòod and /g`ʊdn/…	Góod for [on] yóu [hím，hér，etc.]!
Gòod gríef!	hàve a góod mínd
hòld góod	in góod tíme
in one's ówn (góod) tíme	It's a góod thíng (that…)
màke a góod thíng (òut) of…	màke góod
tàke…in góod párt	Vèry góod

be úp to nó góod	còme to nó góod
dò góod	dò a person góod
for góod (and áll)	for the góod of…
in góod with…	to the góod

as wéll	as wèll as…
cannót [could nót] wéll dó…	còme óff wéll
could júst as wéll dó…	dó onesèlf wéll
dò wéll	dò wéll òut of…
dò wéll to dó…	jùst as wéll
máy [míght] (jùst) as wéll dó (as…)	mày wéll dó
prètty wéll 《口語》	wéll and trúly
wéll awáy 《主に英国で用いられる》	wéll óff
wéll òut of…

áll vèry wéll	(áll) wéll and góod
júst as wéll	(júst) as wèll…
Vèry wéll.


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betterとは 意味・読み方・使い方

betterの品詞ごとの意味や使い方

betterの文法情報

betterの変形一覧

betterのイディオムやフレーズ

betterの学習レベル

better１

better２

good

well１

「better」を含む例文一覧

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

better

Better

better

発音

語源 1

形容詞

派生語

派生した語

副詞

派生語

名詞

派生語

語源 2

動詞

使用する際の注意点

参考

語源 3

動詞

Conjugation

同意語

派生語

語源 4

名詞

参照

語源 1

形容詞

副詞

名詞

語源 2

動詞

better

「better」を含む例文一覧

「better」のお隣キーワード

betterとは意味・読み方・使い方

betterの
品詞ごとの意味や使い方

betterの
文法情報

betterの
変形一覧

betterの
イディオムやフレーズ

better^１

better^２

well^１