better
9
7.5
- noun
- /ˈbɛtər/
:
superior
- Children have no respect for their betters these days.
- social betters
Examples
-
Oath or no oath, you'll have to learn... not to offend your betters, Ingram.
-
- We'll leave that to our betters.
-
Of course, my betters would have none of that.
-
You gotta show some more respect for your betters, huh?
-
Enjoying yourself with your elders and betters, improving yourself with their conversation.
-
Some may be as noble and honorable as their social betters.
Academic text (1991) -
The priest would tell him not to defy his betters.
Fiction book (1991) -
Unlike their social betters, these men engaged in the proverbial weekly binge.
Academic text (1990) -
He didn't care that I was a working-class man impersonating my betters.
-
Children have no respect for their betters these days.
Synonyms
102
4.9
A person who has higher rank or authority in a group
5
7.1
A person with an important job in an organization
4
4.2
A person with more power in a company or group
A person who has higher rank in a group or organization
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
A joking remark to someone who stands in the way and blocks the view
Stopping a problem early is better than fixing it later
Compounds
- Informal
14
3.3
A person someone is married to or lives with, said in a friendly, joking way
Surface Forms
Etymology
Better used as a noun for people of higher rank comes from the same idea of 'more good', so your 'betters' are those seen as higher or more important than you.