11 PHRASE If something changes for the better , it improves. □ He dreams of changing the world for the better.
12 PHRASE If a feeling such as jealousy, curiosity, or anger gets the better of you, it becomes too strong for you to hide or control. □ She didn't allow her emotions to get the better of her.
13 PHRASE If you get the better of someone, you defeat them in a contest, fight, or argument. □ He is used to tough defenders, and he usually gets the better of them.
14 PHRASE If someone knows better than to do something, they are old enough or experienced enough to know it is the wrong thing to do. □ She knew better than to argue with Adeline.
15 PHRASE If you know better than someone, you have more information, knowledge, or experience than them. □ He thought he knew better than I did, though he was much less experienced.
16 PHRASE If you say that someone would be better off doing something, you are advising them to do it or expressing the opinion that it would benefit them to do it. □ If you've got bags, you're better off taking a taxi.
17 PHRASE If you go one better , you do something better than it has been done before or obtain something better than someone else has. □ Now General Electric have gone one better than nature and made a diamond purer than natural diamonds.
18 CONVENTION You say ' That's better ' in order to express your approval of what someone has said or done, or to praise or encourage them. □ 'I came to ask your advice–no, to ask for your help.'—'That's better. And how can I help you?'
19 PHRASE You can say ' so much the better ' or ' all the better ' to indicate that it is desirable that a particular thing is used, done, or available. □ Use strong white flour, and if you can get hold of durum wheat flour, then so much the better.
20 PHRASE You can use expressions like ' The bigger the better ' or ' The sooner the better ' to say that you would prefer it if something is big or happens soon. □ The Irish love a party, the bigger the better.
21 PHRASE If you intend to do something and then think better of it , you decide not to do it because you realize it would not be sensible. □ Alberg opened his mouth, as if to protest. But he thought better of it.
22 PHRASE If you say that something has happened or been done for better or worse , you mean that you are not sure whether the consequences will be good or bad, but they will have to be accepted because the action cannot be changed. □ I married you for better or worse, knowing all about these problems.
23 against your better judgment → see judgment
24 to be better than nothing → see nothing
25 the better part → see part ➊
bet|ter|ment /be tə r mənt/ N‑UNCOUNT The betterment of something is the act or process of improving its standard or status. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] His research is for the betterment of mankind.
bet|ting /be t I ŋ/ PHRASE If you say the betting is that something will happen or is true, you are suggesting that it is very likely to happen or to be true. □ The betting is that the experience will make Japan more competitive still.
be t|ting shop (betting shops ) N‑COUNT A betting shop is a place where people can go to bet on something such as a horse race. [BRIT ]
be|tween ◆◆◆ /b I twiː n/ In addition to the uses shown below, between is used in a few phrasal verbs, such as 'come between'. 1 PREP If something is between two things or is in between them, it has one of the things on one side of it and the other thing on the other side. □ She left the table to stand between the two men. □ Charlie crossed between the traffic to the far side of the street.
2 PREP If people or things travel between two places, they travel regularly from one place to the other and back again. □ I spent a lot of time travelling between London and Bradford.
3 PREP A relationship, discussion, or difference between two people, groups, or things is one that involves them both or relates to them both. □ I think the relationship between patients and doctors has got a lot less personal. □ There has always been a difference between community radio and commercial radio.
4 PREP If something stands between you and what you want, it prevents you from having it. □ His sense of duty often stood between him and the enjoyment of life.
5 PREP If something is between two amounts or ages, it is greater or older than the first one and smaller or younger than the second one. □ Amsterdam is fun–a third of its population is aged between 18 and 30.
6 PREP If something happens between or in between two times or events, it happens after the first time or event and before the second one. □ The canal was built between 1793 and 1797. ● ADV Between is also an adverb. □ They come in peaks lasting two or three minutes, with periods of calm in between.
7 PREP If you must choose between two or more things, you must choose just one of them. □ Students will be able to choose between English, French and Russian as their first foreign language.
8 PREP If people or places have a particular amount of something between them, this is the total amount that they have. □ The three sites employ 12,500 people between them.
9 PREP When something is divided or shared between people, they each have a share of it. □ There is only one bathroom shared between eight bedrooms.
10 PHRASE When you introduce a statement by saying ' between you and me ' or ' between ourselves ', you are indicating that you do not want anyone else to know what you are saying. □ Between you and me, though, it's been awful for business. □ Between ourselves, I know he wants to marry her.