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12 definitions found
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]
Had \Had\ (h[a^]d), imp. & p. p. of Have. [OE. had, hafde,
hefde, AS. h[ae]fde.]
See Have.
[1913 Webster]
Had as lief, Had rather, Had better, Had as soon,
etc., with a nominative and followed by the infinitive
without to, are well established idiomatic forms. The
original construction was that of the dative with forms of
be, followed by the infinitive. See Had better, under
Better.
[1913 Webster]
And lever me is be pore and trewe.
[And more agreeable to me it is to be poor and
true.] --C. Mundi
(Trans.).
[1913 Webster]
Him had been lever to be syke.
[To him it had been preferable to be sick.]
--Fabian.
[1913 Webster]
For him was lever have at his bed's head
Twenty bookes, clad in black or red, . . .
Than robes rich, or fithel, or gay sawtrie.
--Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
Note: Gradually the nominative was substituted for the
dative, and had for the forms of be. During the process
of transition, the nominative with was or were, and the
dative with had, are found.
[1913 Webster]
Poor lady, she were better love a dream. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
You were best hang yourself. --Beau. & Fl.
[1913 Webster]
Me rather had my heart might feel your love
Than my unpleased eye see your courtesy. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
I hadde levere than my scherte,
That ye hadde rad his legende, as have I.
--Chaucer.
[1913 Webster]
I had as lief not be as live to be
In awe of such a thing as I myself. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
I had rather be a dog and bay the moon,
Than such a Roman. --Shak.
[1913 Webster]
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my
God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
--Ps. lxxxiv.
10.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 : [ gcide ]
Better \Bet"ter\, a.; compar. of Good. [OE. betere, bettre, and
as adv. bet, AS. betera, adj., and bet, adv.; akin to Icel.
betri, adj., betr, adv., Goth. batiza, adj., OHG. bezziro,
adj., baz, adv., G. besser, adj. and adv., bass, adv., E.
boot, and prob. to Skr. bhadra excellent. See Boot
advantage, and cf. Best, Batful.]
1. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another;
as, a better man; a better physician; a better house; a
better air.
[1913 Webster]
Could make the worse appear
The better reason. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness,
acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.
[1913 Webster]
To obey is better than sacrifice. --1 Sam. xv.
22.
[1913 Webster]
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in princes. --Ps. cxviii.
9.
[1913 Webster]
3. Greater in amount; larger; more.
[1913 Webster]
4. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the
patient is better.
[1913 Webster]
5. More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance;
a better knowledge of the subject.
[1913 Webster]
All the better. See under All, adv.
Better half, an expression used to designate one's wife.
[1913 Webster]
My dear, my better half (said he),
I find I must now leave thee. --Sir P.
Sidney.
[1913 Webster]
To be better off, to be in a better condition.
Had better. (See under Had).
Note: The phrase had better, followed by an infinitive
without to, is idiomatic. The earliest form of
construction was ``were better'' with a dative; as,
``Him were better go beside.'' (--Gower.) i. e., It
would be better for him, etc. At length the nominative
(I, he, they, etc.) supplanted the dative and had took
the place of were. Thus we have the construction now
used.
[1913 Webster]
By all that's holy, he had better starve
Than but once think this place becomes thee not.
--Shak.
[1913 Webster]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
Better \Bet"ter\, a.; compar. of Good. [OE. betere, bettre, and
as adv. bet, AS. betera, adj., and bet, adv.; akin to Icel.
betri, adj., betr, adv., Goth. batiza, adj., OHG. bezziro,
adj., baz, adv., G. besser, adj. and adv., bass, adv., E.
boot, and prob. to Skr. bhadra excellent. See Boot
advantage, and cf. Best, Batful.]
1. Having good qualities in a greater degree than another;
as, a better man; a better physician; a better house; a
better air.
Could make the worse appear The better reason.
--Milton.
2. Preferable in regard to rank, value, use, fitness,
acceptableness, safety, or in any other respect.
To obey is better than sacrifice. --1 Sam. xv.
22.
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in princes. --Ps. cxviii.
9.
3. Greater in amount; larger; more.
4. Improved in health; less affected with disease; as, the
patient is better.
5. More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance;
a better knowledge of the subject.
All the better. See under All, adv.
Better half, an expression used to designate one's wife.
My dear, my better half (said he), I find I must now
leave thee. --Sir P.
Sidney.
To be better off, to be in a better condition.
Had better. (See under Had).
Note: The phrase had better, followed by an infinitive
without to, is idiomatic. The earliest form of
construction was ``were better'' with a dative; as,
``Him were better go beside.'' (--Gower.) i. e., It
would be better for him, etc. At length the nominative
(I, he, they, etc.) supplanted the dative and had took
the place of were. Thus we have the construction now
used.
By all that's holy, he had better starve Than but
once think this place becomes thee not. --Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) : [ web1913 ]
Had \Had\, imp. & p. p. of Have. [OE. had, hafde, hefde, AS.
h[ae]fde.]
See Have.
Had as lief, Had rather, Had better, Had as soon,
etc., with a nominative and followed by the infinitive
without to, are well established idiomatic forms. The
original construction was that of the dative with forms of
be, followed by the infinitive. See Had better, under
Better.
And lever me is be pore and trewe. [And more
agreeable to me it is to be poor and true.] --C.
Mundi (Trans.
).
Him had been lever to be syke. [To him it had been
preferable to be sick.] --Fabian.
For him was lever have at his bed's head Twenty
bookes, clad in black or red, . . . Than robes rich,
or fithel, or gay sawtrie. --Chaucer.
Note: Gradually the nominative was substituted for the
dative, and had for the forms of be. During the process
of transition, the nominative with was or were, and the
dative with had, are found.
Poor lady, she were better love a dream. --Shak.
You were best hang yourself. --Beau. & Fl.
Me rather had my heart might feel your love Than
my unpleased eye see your courtesy. --Shak.
I hadde levere than my scherte, That ye hadde rad
his legende, as have I. --Chaucer.
I had as lief not be as live to be In awe of such
a thing as I myself. --Shak.
I had rather be a dog and bay the moon, Than such
a Roman. --Shak.
I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my
God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
--Ps.
lxxxiv.10.
From English Wiktionary: All languages (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-ALL-2023-07-27 ]
had better
vb.
(lb en idiomatic with bare infinitive informal) should; ought to;
need to; must.
From English Wiktionary: English language only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-en-2023-07-27 ]
had better
vb.
(lb en idiomatic with bare infinitive informal) should; ought to;
need to; must.
From English Wiktionary: Western, Greek, and Slavonic languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western_Greek_Slavonic-2023-07-27 ]
had better
vb.
(lb en idiomatic with bare infinitive informal) should; ought to;
need to; must.
From English Wiktionary: Western languages only (2023-07-27) : [ dictinfo.com:wikt-en-Western-2023-07-27 ]
had better
vb.
(lb en idiomatic with bare infinitive informal) should; ought to;
need to; must.
From English - Modern Greek XDXF/FreeDict dictionary ver. 0.1.1 : [ freedict:eng-ell ]
had better /had bˈɛtə/
θα ήταν καλύτερα
From English-suomi FreeDict+WikDict dictionary ver. 2023.05.29 : [ freedict:eng-fin ]
had better /had bˈɛtə/
olisi parasta
should; ought to; must
From Stardic English-Chinese Dictionary : [ stardic ]
最好
From XDICT the English-Chinese dictionary : [ xdict ]
最好,应该,还是…为好
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