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Glite Dictionary
to get better at

to get better at

34 1.8
To become more skilled in an activity by practicing
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : mejorar en
  • If you practice regularly, you will get better at playing the guitar.
  • get better at playing
  • need to get better at

I'm working on getting better at work life balance.

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Examples

  • We show them how to embrace and grow from feedback to get better at a task rather than feel criticized.

    Academic text (2015)

  • People in all cultures want to understand and to get better at what they do.

    Academic text (1993)

  • It's going to help you get better at almost anything.

  • Maybe I want to, you know, get better at my job, make more money, whatever.

    Tom Bilyeu

  • Yes, continue to write and get better at writing.

    Film Courage

  • But everyone can get better at what they do.

    The Diary Of A CEO

  • So you do get better at these things over time.

  • Like anything, you keep doing it, you get better at it.

    The King of Staten Island (2020)

  • I need to get better at that.

    After We Fell (2021)

  • I work smarter now, and I feel like I am getting better at time management.

    Academic text (2006)

Synonyms

to improve
vsto get better at
∞ 1.0

To make something better

restricts this to improving personal skill or ability in activities
to get better
vsto get better at
573 1.0

To become healthier, more skilled, or more successful

is specifically about improving skill or ability in a particular area
to hone
vsto get better at
66 4.2

To make a skill better by careful practice

improves skill generally without aiming for near perfection
to get the hang of
vsto get better at
  • Informal
59 3.9

To learn how to do something after some practice

describes improving skill further rather than first basic understanding
to get the hang
vsto get better at
  • Informal
58 3.6

Learn to do something well after some practice

describes continued skill improvement rather than initial proficiency
to step up one's game
vsto get better at
  • Informal
6 4.9

Work harder to improve your skills and do better

can improve skill normally without the pressure to compete
to polish up
vsto get better at
  • Informal
4 3.5

Make something better by practicing or fixing it

means general improvement but without emphasizing finishing touches
to sharpen skills
vsto get better at
3.9

To get better at a skill by practising

focuses on improving specific abilities rather than general ability

Antonyms

to get worse
390 2.5

To become more serious, often about health or a situation

to regress
24 7.5

To return to an earlier, less developed or worse state

How Skilled

to master
191 4.1
to get better at
34 1.8
practice
585 1.6
to get started
481 1.8

Surface Forms

get better at infinitive
getting better at present participle
gets better at third person singular
got better at past
got better at past participle

Morphology

get + better + at

The meaning 'to improve one's skill in a particular activity' is directly derivable from combining 'get' (become), 'better' (more skilled/improved) and the preposition 'at' (indicating the domain or activity). This compositional pattern is common in English and in many other languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The phrase get better at uses a simple picture: get means 'become', better means 'more skilled', and at shows the activity. So when you practice and slowly improve, you 'get better at' something, which is why it means 'to improve one's skill'.