I. adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a better/greater/deeper understanding
▪
All of this will lead to a better understanding of the overseas market.
a bit better/older/easier etc
▪
I feel a bit better now.
a good/better option
▪
Renting a house may be a better option than buying.
a little more/better/further etc
▪
We’ll have to wait a little longer to see what happens.
a shade better/quicker/faster etc
▪
The results were a shade better than we expected.
against your better judgment (= even though you think your action might be wrong )
▪
I lent him the money, against my better judgment.
are better left unsaid (= it is better not to mention them )
▪
Some things are better left unsaid .
be better off doing sth (= used to give advice or an opinion )
▪
He’d be better off starting with something simpler.
better nature (= his feelings of kindness )
▪
I tried appealing to his better nature but he wouldn’t agree to help us.
better off
▪
She’ll be about £50 a week better off.
better or worse
▪
I wasn’t sure whether his behaviour was getting better or worse.
curiosity gets the better of sb/overcomes sb (= makes you do something that you are trying not to do )
▪
Curiosity got the better of me and I opened her diary.
deserve better ( also deserve a better deal ) (= deserve to be treated better or to be in a better situation )
▪
They treated him badly at work and I thought he deserved better.
far better/easier etc
▪
The new system is far better than the old one.
▪
There are a far greater number of women working in television than twenty years ago.
greater/better protection
▪
The law should give greater protection to victims.
heaps better/bigger etc (= much better, bigger etc )
higher/better
▪
Workers demanded higher pay.
how much better/nicer/easier etc
▪
I was surprised to see how much better she was looking.
▪
How much better life would be if we returned to the values of the past!
judge it best/better to do sth (= think that something is the best thing to do )
▪
Robert wanted to go and help him, but judged it best to stay where he was.
knew better than to
▪
Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes.
little more/better etc (than sth)
▪
His voice was little more than a whisper.
move on to higher/better things (= get a better job or social position – used humorously )
▪
Jeremy’s leaving the company to move on to higher things.
much better/greater/easier etc
▪
Henry’s room is much bigger than mine.
▪
These shoes are much more comfortable.
prevention is better than cure British English , an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure American English (= used to say that it is better to prevent illness than to cure it )
prevention is better than cure (= it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened )
▪
You know what they say, prevention is better than cure .
sb is old enough to know better (= used when you think someone should behave more sensibly )
▪
He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway!
should know better
▪
It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better .
significantly better/greater/worse etc
▪
Delia’s work has been significantly better this year.
slightly higher/lower/better/larger etc
▪
January’s sales were slightly better than average.
take a turn for the worse/better
▪
Two days after the operation, Dad took a turn for the worse.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
I couldn't wish for a nicer/better etc ...
I must/I'd better be getting along
I'd better mosey along/be moseying along
I/you can't/couldn't ask for a better sth
a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc
▪
Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
▪
I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
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If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
▪
Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
▪
The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
▪
We were a darned sight better than them.
all the better/easier/more etc
▪
He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
▪
His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
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If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
▪
It makes it all the more opportune.
▪
Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
▪
The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
▪
The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
▪
Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
appeal to sb's better nature/sense of justice etc
better late than never
▪
While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
better luck next time
▪
Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
▪
And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
▪
Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
better the devil you know (than the devil you don't)
better/harder/worse etc still
▪
And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still , averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
▪
But perhaps the early evening was better still ?
▪
He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still , falling in.
▪
I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still , a snack shop.
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I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still .
▪
Or better still , make a real talent show instead.
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Or better still , there was the village school practically next door!
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With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
come off best/better/worst etc
▪
Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
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Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
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His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
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It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
▪
Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
▪
The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
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The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
couldn't be better/worse/more pleased etc
discretion is the better part of valour
even bigger/better/brighter etc
▪
But he actually proved even better than I thought.
▪
He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
▪
I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
▪
It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
▪
Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
▪
There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
▪
This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
▪
What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
fare well/badly/better etc
▪
I think the men fared better than the women.
▪
It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
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It still fared better than the broader market.
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Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
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Not faring well, but resting.
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Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
▪
The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard&.
▪
There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
for want of a better word/phrase etc
▪
Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
▪
Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
for want of anything better (to do)
good/better/healthy etc start (in life)
▪
A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
▪
But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
▪
He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
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It wasn't a very good start .
▪
Not a good start , but a start, nevertheless.
▪
The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
▪
The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start .
▪
They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start , he believes.
greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts
▪
Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
half a loaf (is better than none)
have seen better days
▪
Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
▪
Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
▪
We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
hotter/colder/better etc than ever
▪
And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
▪
He says the new films are better than ever .
▪
Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever .
▪
The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
▪
The National Health Service is now better than ever .
▪
The opportunities now are better than ever .
▪
This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever , with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
▪
Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever .
kiss sth better
know better
▪
Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
▪
The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
▪
But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
▪
Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
▪
Guess he should have known better.
▪
Now you know better, thass all.
▪
Then I would have known better.
▪
Time you knew better, young lady.
▪
Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
light years ahead/better etc than sth
miles older/better/too difficult etc
none the worse/better etc (for sth)
▪
Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
▪
I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
▪
Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
not know any better
▪
Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
sb had better/best do sth
sb's elders (and betters)
▪
For our purposes it may be more helpful to use the idea of desire when assessing elders .
▪
He roused himself wearily to exchange greetings with the elders as they passed him, and went in to his foster-father.
▪
In this respect at least, the procedures reflected those of a lineage or tribal meeting of elders and shaikhs.
▪
Indeed, the absence of official elders was a source of wonder to visitors from systems run by a selected few.
▪
Some, like Monta o, believe to this day that the city killed their elders .
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The Oaks are the Elders of the Forest and the others are aware of it.
▪
The weary elders of the 1980s take revenge at last upon the hapless victims of the 1960s.
the best/better part of sth
▪
Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
▪
Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
▪
Converse drank the better part of the rum.
▪
For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
▪
I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
▪
It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
▪
This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
the sooner ( ... ) the better
▪
The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
▪
They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
think better of it
▪
She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
▪
But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
▪
But then she thought better of it.
▪
Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
▪
He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
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He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
▪
He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
▪
Then he thought better of it.
two heads are better than one
you'd better believe it!
▪
"Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
your better half/other half
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
Angie spent last week painting her bedroom -- it looks much better .
▪
Consumers are demanding lower prices, better quality, and a larger selection of goods.
▪
Here, this one is better - try it.
▪
His latest novel is far better than anything he's written before.
▪
I don't think you should go swimming until you're better .
▪
Lucy's better at mathematics than I am.
▪
My sister is a better student than me.
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People's general health is a lot better these days than it used to be.
▪
She's a little better than she was yesterday.
▪
She bought a better car.
▪
The sales figures were better than we expected.
▪
We could either go to Florida or California -- which do you think is better ?
▪
You'll get a better deal from a mail-order company.
▪
Your job is better than mine.
▪
Your Spanish is definitely getting better .
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Caffeine received no better press in the twentieth century.
▪
He turned down what any of his peers would have called a much better deal today.
▪
Still, he is impressive as the surly, enigmatic intellectual who offers Jane a glimmer of hope for a better life.
▪
Tell the students that you are going to conduct an activity to find out if two ears are better than one.
▪
Women are little better , only weaker in carrying out their ill intentions.
II. adverb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
able
▪
The result is an epidermis which is better able to mimic the softness and freshness of younger skin.
▪
As a child becomes better able to generalize across stimuli, schemata become more refined.
▪
Handling and ride in the 5-Series is already legendary, and this engine is better able to make the most of it.
▪
She is better able to focus on simpler pictures.
▪
Before the recession, businesses were better able to absorb the problem.
▪
A watercourse viewed primarily as an effluent carrier will be thought better able to tolerate further pollution.
▪
It was agreed that he might return to work from the hospital when he felt better able to cope.
▪
Burns and Stalker found that organic structures were better able to respond to change than mechanistic ones.
■ VERB
become
▪
The first is that Luftwaffe defences became better , too, and that caused a high price to be paid in terms of casualties.
▪
And that might help them become better socialized.
▪
This section will therefore only touch on some of the techniques which have become better understood as the result of scientific research.
▪
You can become better at distinguishing between team versus individual and process versus function only by making choices and moving forward.
▪
At the same time both the army and the navy became better equipped.
▪
Independence and transcending childhood require personality development, not becoming better at a particular task, or doing battle with external difficulties.
▪
The little-known cast is unlikely to become better known.
▪
As a child becomes better able to generalize across stimuli, schemata become more refined.
deserve
▪
Surely they deserve better than this.
▪
I do remember thinking he deserved better .
▪
Surely he deserves better of me than to gaze at him with my policeman's eyes.
▪
Most of the time, though I knew she deserved better , I went ahead and sent them anyway.
▪
They're worth watching and they deserve better than they're getting, but they've got to sharpen up in front of goal.
▪
I figured he deserved better from Ryan, and said so.
▪
He thought she deserved better than that after all her troubles.
▪
Starostin deserves better: he virtually made Spartak.
do
▪
He did better junior year, despite the fact that he spent nearly all of it arguing with the priests.
▪
Hoffert said the business grossed about $ 285,000 last year, and will do better in 2000.
▪
The Labour party did badly in May 1997 and can do better .
▪
Only the Crabbe Huson Special Fund did better .
▪
Alamaro and Patrick think they can do better .
▪
At this she played cards with a bridge-a-matic, that she might do better in the neighborhood club.
▪
Not only do girls generally do better with language, reading, and writing; they are also socially more adept.
▪
It is rarely about disloyalty but invariably about clients believing they can do better .
equip
▪
Few orchestras are better equipped , so you would think, than the Chicago Symphony.
▪
Each bit of progress makes the individual child better equipped to deal with the demands of life.
▪
Confiscated boats and planes could be used by law enforcement agencies and seized money used to train and better equip the forces.
▪
But no one was better equipped for the psychological warfare that lay ahead.
▪
Sometimes they are better equipped than the police itself and have good connections with the West.
▪
In every way save one, this is a campaign that Bush is still better equipped than McCain to fight and win.
▪
Few hotels are better equipped for a Club holiday.
▪
With books like this we shall be much better equipped lo make a contribution.
fare
▪
It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
▪
Other home builders are thought to have fared better .
▪
There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
▪
But investors in the rest of the Southeast fared better .
▪
The Nationalists fared better in their foreign dealings.
▪
Dance based on ethnic themes fared better .
▪
After lunch he fared better returning a 76, taking only 35 shots on the inward nine.
▪
If managing diversity comes to be viewed as a business issue rather than an ethical one, minorities might actually fare better .
feel
▪
Regular exercise could help you - and your child - to feel better , look better and be more alert.
▪
A few choice words here and there can make you feel better , and they might get your point across.
▪
We'd got some work behind us at last, and felt better for it.
▪
The reduction in scrolling and window swapping has made the whole computer feel better and more relaxing to use.
▪
It makes people feel better to pretend otherwise.
▪
After a few minutes he felt better , so he rose and walked upstairs.
▪
I better feel your glove, Ting.
get
▪
She'd better get used to it, Guy thought inflexibly.
▪
Things are going good now and they can only get better .
▪
It was then getting on for three in the morning, but in the last quarter of an hour things had been getting better .
▪
This four-day Grandaddy of Arizona ethnic celebrations just keeps getting better .
▪
When I was getting better , he told me some of the local news.
▪
The neighborhood has been getting better and better, he said.
▪
Look, Neil, you'd better get along to the blue drawing room.
▪
On the one hand, sophomore shows are getting better , as some of the third-year shows did before them.
inform
▪
However, for the twelfth century we are much better informed about the rapidly expanding wine trade.
▪
The task of assessing this forceful leader must necessarily be left to others more competent and better informed than myself.
▪
But you'd better inform Freddy Swanson immediately that there is a problem.
▪
As companies get leaner and better informed , they are much quicker to take action.
▪
An editorial in the latest issue said the event would be a unique opportunity to become better informed and to browse.
▪
You'd better inform Toronto and Montreal.
▪
And being better informed they say, will help those like Gillis to a better recovery.
know
▪
The basic premise is that they think they know better than anyone else.
▪
This astonishing question was asked by a corporate medical department nurse who should know better .
▪
Once established in Bactria, the Yuezhi are far better known in the West as the Kushans.
▪
Kubo is better known for his skill as a political strategist than for his financial acumen.
▪
I knew better than to inquire.
▪
If their pediatrician is telling them to wait, that their child will outgrow it, the parents know better .
leave
▪
Now, if that's all I'd better leave .
▪
Some things were better left unsaid.
▪
I told them there was nothing much more we could usefully do there and we'd better leave before we were ejected.
▪
In fact, for both economic and cultural reasons, elite Western workers are often better left behind these days.
▪
Maybe some things were better left to the natural course of time.
▪
He has invented a special fish dish which he calls Salmon Butter Yaki, better left undescribed.
▪
In that case we had better leave .
▪
Some subjects, I'd learned during the weeks I followed Oscar Wilde, were better left only as implications.
look
▪
It looked better inland, so we decided to go and have a look.
▪
Then they began to look better .
▪
Women who looked better as they got older.
▪
Shaq himself has always looked better in commercials than on the court.
▪
The love affair gave him new life, he looked better , drank less and stayed away from the cafés.
▪
We were ecstatically happy together, and life had never looked better .
▪
Meadows and woodlands are better looked after, but that still leaves many different habitats that do not have sufficient protection.
▪
He stirred again, but she saw that he looked better .
place
▪
They may be better placed financially than many tenants, but their security of tenure can end with retirement.
▪
The world will be a much better place to live in in about 1, 000 days.
▪
And the wretched thing is that Gore is no better placed .
▪
But what better place for Swindon to score their first league win of the season.
▪
What better place to start than on our own doorstep, with the world famous collections of the Barber Institute?
▪
Unionists had a majority in Lloyd George's war cabinet, but were little better placed in his government as a whole.
play
▪
The team plays better with Strachan out!!!
▪
It just makes us play better .
▪
In fact, his colleagues know that if Levi is challenging, they had better play their best golf.
▪
Worldwide, there might be two hundred people who play better than Peter.
▪
But Jahangir admitted Dittmar had never played better .
▪
It might have played better at five hours, rather than six.
▪
The three works collected here have never before been better played .
▪
Some people thought Peter would play better if he spent more money, but he failed to see any logic in that.
serve
▪
Apparently the networks-feeling that minorities were better served elsewhere-decided they themselves had no obligation to show minority faces.
▪
Also, are my present investments wise, and if not, where might my money better serve me?
▪
Other origins for the structure might be as well or better served by hot dark matter.
▪
Kelvim Escobar did a strong job setting up closer Billy Koch, but the team is better served if he can start.
▪
In terms both of quantity and quality, few composers before 1600 have been better served by the record industry.
▪
Surely justice has never been better served .
▪
With his great hands, Jimmy returned the fast serve better than anyone in the history of the game.
▪
Since 1990 it has looked to career academies as a way to restructure its high schools and better serve its students.
start
▪
So you'd better start packing - don't forget a cagoule.
▪
Those other guys better start working harder.
▪
If she wanted to hang on to the shreds of her professional reputation she'd better start by controlling her haywire emotions.
▪
He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
▪
But they'd better start thinking about how they are going to pay for it.
▪
I think I'd better go for Dersingham and you'd better start keeping tabs on Hereward.
suit
▪
On the whole, feminists throughout the period agreed that women were better suited by nature to home-related tasks than were men.
▪
On any other label, this could be the recipe for lackluster recordings by players better suited for small groups.
▪
I decided the bird was far better suited to the conditions than me.
▪
Rain had fallen all morning, leaving the field better suited for mud wrestling than for football.
▪
The system is a heavy user of both men and machines and so is probably better suited to contractors and larger farmers.
▪
Light and nimble, it was better suited to the terrain.
▪
She is much better suited to this B format, and coronet is reissuing its titles in B during this year.
▪
Nubby fabrics, for example, better suit a casual style, while smooth fabrics are more formal.
think
▪
He is incredulous when she says that some people might think better of Jason for confessing his fear.
▪
He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
▪
Then he thought better of it.
▪
Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
▪
But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
▪
Only the mother of the frightened girl started to say something, but thought better of it.
▪
But then she thought better of it.
▪
Norms are changing, and men better think about what they do.
understand
▪
Now he has had a chance to work with them and perhaps better understands the intricacies of their job.
▪
We often watch Western women to understand better how to act like a man.
▪
But it is possible to understand better the man behind those achievements.
▪
S Department of Defense in the hopes of understanding better the concept of deception.
▪
It does help our chances of success however, if we can better understand why reef fish are aggressive towards each other.
▪
Promote effective two-way communication between employees at all levels to understand better the problems and concerns that affect productivity; 7.
▪
Perhaps in the future we may come to better understand more complex processes, such as memory and learning.
▪
But it is better understood as a shift in the continuity-producing frame.
work
▪
Raise the tank temperature to 70°F. before adding it as it works better at higher temperatures.
▪
When you make both the software and the hardware, as Apple does, things work better .
▪
If it is run twice on similar data, it will probably work better the second time.
▪
We continue to have the races working better together.
▪
According to the researchers, the new cell actually works better under cloud cover than in full sunlight.
▪
Graphic animal prints usually work better with strong colors than pastels.
▪
Gel is less sticky than mousse and works better with curly hair.
▪
Newer ones are said to work better , and there are things you can do to increase your comfort level.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
(just) that little bit better/easier etc
▪
We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
I couldn't wish for a nicer/better etc ...
I must/I'd better be getting along
I'd better mosey along/be moseying along
I/you can't/couldn't ask for a better sth
a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc
▪
Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
▪
I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
▪
If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
▪
Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
▪
The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
▪
We were a darned sight better than them.
a damn sight more/better etc
▪
Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
▪
I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
▪
Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
a darn sight better/harder etc
all the better/easier/more etc
▪
He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
▪
His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
▪
If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
▪
It makes it all the more opportune.
▪
Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
▪
The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
▪
The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
▪
Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
appeal to sb's better nature/sense of justice etc
better (to be) safe than sorry
▪
I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
▪
Anyway, better safe than sorry.
▪
The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
better Red than dead
better late than never
▪
While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
better luck next time
▪
Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
▪
And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
▪
Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
better the devil you know (than the devil you don't)
better/harder/worse etc still
▪
And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still , averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
▪
But perhaps the early evening was better still ?
▪
He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still , falling in.
▪
I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still , a snack shop.
▪
I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still .
▪
Or better still , make a real talent show instead.
▪
Or better still , there was the village school practically next door!
▪
With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
come off best/better/worst etc
▪
Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
▪
Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
▪
His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
▪
It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
▪
Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
▪
The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
▪
The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
couldn't be better/worse/more pleased etc
discretion is the better part of valour
even bigger/better/brighter etc
▪
But he actually proved even better than I thought.
▪
He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
▪
I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
▪
It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
▪
Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
▪
There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
▪
This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
▪
What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
fare well/badly/better etc
▪
I think the men fared better than the women.
▪
It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
▪
It still fared better than the broader market.
▪
Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
▪
Not faring well, but resting.
▪
Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
▪
The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard&.
▪
There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
for want of a better word/phrase etc
▪
Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
▪
Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
for want of anything better (to do)
good/better/healthy etc start (in life)
▪
A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
▪
But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
▪
He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
▪
It wasn't a very good start .
▪
Not a good start , but a start, nevertheless.
▪
The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
▪
The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start .
▪
They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start , he believes.
greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts
▪
Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
half a loaf (is better than none)
have seen better days
▪
Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
▪
Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
▪
We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
hotter/colder/better etc than ever
▪
And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
▪
He says the new films are better than ever .
▪
Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever .
▪
The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
▪
The National Health Service is now better than ever .
▪
The opportunities now are better than ever .
▪
This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever , with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
▪
Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever .
kiss sth better
know better
▪
Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
▪
The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
▪
But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
▪
Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
▪
Guess he should have known better.
▪
Now you know better, thass all.
▪
Then I would have known better.
▪
Time you knew better, young lady.
▪
Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
light years ahead/better etc than sth
miles older/better/too difficult etc
none the worse/better etc (for sth)
▪
Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
▪
I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
▪
Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
not know any better
▪
Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
sb had better/best do sth
sb's elders (and betters)
▪
For our purposes it may be more helpful to use the idea of desire when assessing elders .
▪
He roused himself wearily to exchange greetings with the elders as they passed him, and went in to his foster-father.
▪
In this respect at least, the procedures reflected those of a lineage or tribal meeting of elders and shaikhs.
▪
Indeed, the absence of official elders was a source of wonder to visitors from systems run by a selected few.
▪
Some, like Monta o, believe to this day that the city killed their elders .
▪
The Oaks are the Elders of the Forest and the others are aware of it.
▪
The weary elders of the 1980s take revenge at last upon the hapless victims of the 1960s.
the best/better part of sth
▪
Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
▪
Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
▪
Converse drank the better part of the rum.
▪
For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
▪
I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
▪
It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
▪
This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
the sooner ( ... ) the better
▪
The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
▪
They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
think better of it
▪
She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
▪
But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
▪
But then she thought better of it.
▪
Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
▪
He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
▪
He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
▪
He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
▪
Then he thought better of it.
two heads are better than one
you'd better believe it!
▪
"Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
your better half/other half
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
Hospitals are much better equipped now.
▪
I liked his last movie better .
▪
Ralph would be able to explain this a lot better than I can.
▪
Relief agencies are hoping to cope better with the famine than they did in 1990.
▪
The car is running much better since I put in new spark plugs.
▪
This country's people are wealthier, healthier, and better educated than ever before.
▪
Vidal is better known as a novelist.
▪
You can see much better from up here.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Apparently the networks-feeling that minorities were better served elsewhere-decided they themselves had no obligation to show minority faces.
▪
I thought we played much better in the third period.
III. noun
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
(just) that little bit better/easier etc
▪
We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
I couldn't wish for a nicer/better etc ...
I must/I'd better be getting along
I'd better mosey along/be moseying along
I/you can't/couldn't ask for a better sth
a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc
▪
Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
▪
I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
▪
If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
▪
Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
▪
The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
▪
We were a darned sight better than them.
a damn sight more/better etc
▪
Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
▪
I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
▪
Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
a darn sight better/harder etc
all the better/easier/more etc
▪
He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
▪
His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
▪
If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
▪
It makes it all the more opportune.
▪
Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
▪
The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
▪
The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
▪
Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
appeal to sb's better nature/sense of justice etc
better (to be) safe than sorry
▪
I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
▪
Anyway, better safe than sorry.
▪
The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
better Red than dead
better late than never
▪
While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
better luck next time
▪
Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
▪
And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
▪
Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
better/harder/worse etc still
▪
And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still , averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
▪
But perhaps the early evening was better still ?
▪
He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still , falling in.
▪
I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still , a snack shop.
▪
I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still .
▪
Or better still , make a real talent show instead.
▪
Or better still , there was the village school practically next door!
▪
With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
come off best/better/worst etc
▪
Alec Davidson, for example, was one of those who came off worst.
▪
Bullock comes off best because her complaining seems so valid.
▪
His foster-child comes off best, but in addition each of two nurses receives a tenth of his estate.
▪
It may seem, so far, that in terms of clearly defined benefits, the client comes off best out of the deal.
▪
Prior to that Meath had come off best when they accounted for Down in the 1990 league decider.
▪
The lightning, it seemed to Lydia, had undoubtedly come off best in that encounter.
▪
The problem is that history sometimes comes off better.
couldn't be better/worse/more pleased etc
discretion is the better part of valour
even bigger/better/brighter etc
▪
But he actually proved even better than I thought.
▪
He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
▪
I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
▪
It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
▪
Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
▪
There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
▪
This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
▪
What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
fare well/badly/better etc
▪
I think the men fared better than the women.
▪
It can be seen that, whilst all regions reflected the higher national unemployment rate, some regions fared better than others.
▪
It still fared better than the broader market.
▪
Life may be regarded as an austere struggle, blighted by fate, where only the rich and the lucky fare well.
▪
Not faring well, but resting.
▪
Obviously some clothiers fared better than others for there were quite a large number of bankruptcies between 1800 and 1840.
▪
The Bloomberg Indiana Index fared better than the benchmark Standard&.
▪
There is no reason to believe that diabetic patients fare better and they may do less well.
for want of a better word/phrase etc
▪
Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
▪
Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
for want of anything better (to do)
good/better/healthy etc start (in life)
▪
A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
▪
But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
▪
He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
▪
It wasn't a very good start .
▪
Not a good start , but a start, nevertheless.
▪
The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
▪
The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start .
▪
They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start , he believes.
greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts
▪
Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
half a loaf (is better than none)
have seen better days
▪
Ms. Davis's car had certainly seen better days.
▪
Virginia's car had definitely seen better days.
▪
We are working at Nanking University, in rather cramped and primitive conditions, for the buildings have seen better days.
hotter/colder/better etc than ever
▪
And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
▪
He says the new films are better than ever .
▪
Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever .
▪
The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
▪
The National Health Service is now better than ever .
▪
The opportunities now are better than ever .
▪
This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever , with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
▪
Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever .
kiss sth better
know better
▪
Parents should know better than their children, but they don't always necessarily do.
▪
The man said it was an 18 carat diamond, but Dina knew better.
▪
But there were some rules he knew better than she ever would.
▪
Even people who should know better have ended up paying a price for denying what they are feeling.
▪
Guess he should have known better.
▪
Now you know better, thass all.
▪
Then I would have known better.
▪
Time you knew better, young lady.
▪
Yamazaki seems unconcerned by the fact that he's taking on problems that have defeated many who should have known better.
light years ahead/better etc than sth
miles older/better/too difficult etc
none the worse/better etc (for sth)
▪
Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
▪
I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
▪
Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
not know any better
▪
Before Sinai, one could argue, the people had the excuse of not knowing any better.
sb had better/best do sth
sb's elders (and betters)
▪
For our purposes it may be more helpful to use the idea of desire when assessing elders .
▪
He roused himself wearily to exchange greetings with the elders as they passed him, and went in to his foster-father.
▪
In this respect at least, the procedures reflected those of a lineage or tribal meeting of elders and shaikhs.
▪
Indeed, the absence of official elders was a source of wonder to visitors from systems run by a selected few.
▪
Some, like Monta o, believe to this day that the city killed their elders .
▪
The Oaks are the Elders of the Forest and the others are aware of it.
▪
The weary elders of the 1980s take revenge at last upon the hapless victims of the 1960s.
the best/better part of sth
▪
Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
▪
Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
▪
Converse drank the better part of the rum.
▪
For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
▪
I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
▪
It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
▪
This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
the sooner ( ... ) the better
▪
The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
▪
They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
think better of it
▪
She felt like slapping him in the face, but thought better of it.
▪
But he thought better of it and slowly breathed out the air through his nose.
▪
But then she thought better of it.
▪
Cowher said later he momentarily contemplated tackling Hudson, but thought better of it.
▪
He thought better of it, and despite a case of galloping homesickness, decided not to go home at all.
▪
He could have forced the window in time, anyone could, but he seemed suddenly to think better of it.
▪
He passed Miguel the joint but Miguel thought better of it.
▪
Then he thought better of it.
two heads are better than one
you'd better believe it!
▪
"Do they make money on them?" "You'd better believe it!"
your better half/other half
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
Bored in the isolation of his taxi, curiosity and perhaps hunger got the better of him.
▪
On many other issues where he and Mr Bush differ we similarly believe Mr Gore has the better of the argument.
IV. verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ NOUN
lot
▪
And for the sheriff with his bog Buick, yes, lots better .
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
(get) a bigger/better etc bang for your buck
(just) that little bit better/easier etc
▪
We have put together a few of the most popular itineraries to help make your choice that little bit easier.
a (damn/darned/darn) sight more/better etc
▪
Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
▪
I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
▪
If he listened to Anthony Scrivener, he would be a darned sight better.
▪
Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
▪
The Galapagos finch was a darn sight more valuable than Sandra Willmot.
▪
We were a darned sight better than them.
a damn sight more/better etc
▪
Actually, a damn sight more than from that stiff gherkin Smott.
▪
I prefer my women a little older and a damn sight more sober.
▪
Perhaps not up there with Wilburforce but a damn sight more daring than anything Diana ever did!
a darn sight better/harder etc
all the better/easier/more etc
▪
He offsets Roberts' operatic evil with a performance that commands all the more notice for its minimalism.
▪
His job was made all the more easier by drivers who hadn't bothered to take measures to stop people like him.
▪
If there is some meat left on the bones, all the better.
▪
It makes it all the more opportune.
▪
Superb defence by Karpov, all the more praiseworthy in that he was now in desperate time trouble.
▪
The dispute was all the more bitter because a prize was at stake.
▪
The inadequacy and treachery of the old leaderships of the working class have made the need all the more imperative.
▪
Weather experts say it was a relatively dry winter which makes the water recovery all the more remarkable.
better (to be) safe than sorry
▪
I think I'll take my umbrella along - better safe than sorry.
▪
Anyway, better safe than sorry.
▪
The overall message of precaution-better safe than sorry-has intuitive appeal.
better Red than dead
better late than never
▪
While ongoing self-monitoring is urged, it is always better late than never.
better luck next time
▪
Ah well, better luck next time, Andy.
▪
And if you didn't win, better luck next time.
▪
Back to the West Indies with it, and better luck next time.
better the devil you know (than the devil you don't)
better/harder/worse etc still
▪
And 245 specialty stock funds that focus on particular industries did better still , averaging a 6. 5 percent gain.
▪
But perhaps the early evening was better still ?
▪
He didn't talk because he was afraid of losing the pole or, worse still , falling in.
▪
I started to hunt for a cheap restaurant or, better still , a snack shop.
▪
I thought that it would soon pass, and it did - for you to work harder still .
▪
Or better still , make a real talent show instead.
▪
Or better still , there was the village school practically next door!
▪
With hindsight, it would have better still to lock in a few more gains.
couldn't be better/worse/more pleased etc
discretion is the better part of valour
even bigger/better/brighter etc
▪
But he actually proved even better than I thought.
▪
He had hoped to play an even bigger, more traditional role.
▪
I sort of thought the accident would make us play even better.
▪
It was even better when I got a hug and a kiss from the former Miss Minnesota!
▪
Many companies do so because smart managers know the importance of rewarding good work and inspiring even better efforts.
▪
There was something spontaneous and lively in his manner of speaking that made whatever he was saying sound even better.
▪
This show will be even better than the last one and is not to be missed!
▪
What is the best way of stemming this decline or, even better, of regenerating the economy?
for want of a better word/phrase etc
▪
Just horses and ploughs and, for want of a better word, peasants.
▪
Now, hands are, well, handed for want of a better word.
for want of anything better (to do)
good/better/healthy etc start (in life)
▪
A good start is one where you pass close behind the start boat going at speed.
▪
But it wasn't a good start in the lessons of love, and left me very arid in such matters.
▪
He had better start by accepting that if he does the right things, they will not be popular ones.
▪
It wasn't a very good start .
▪
Not a good start , but a start, nevertheless.
▪
The auditor may enjoy the gifts, but he had better start looking for a sympathy engram not yet suspected or tapped.
▪
The problem was the middle and end, when the team sacrificed rebounding for getting out to a good start .
▪
They will, however, be getting a new center, and that is a good start , he believes.
greater/more/better etc than the sum of its parts
▪
Or is the organisation more than the sum of its parts?
half a loaf (is better than none)
hotter/colder/better etc than ever
▪
And that incentive was increased when they got personal recognition and satisfaction from doing it better than ever before.
▪
He says the new films are better than ever .
▪
Organised by the Alton and District Arts Council, the week promises to be better than ever .
▪
The moviemaking machine that Walt Disney created sixty years ago is working better than ever today.
▪
The National Health Service is now better than ever .
▪
The opportunities now are better than ever .
▪
This year's attractions are bigger and better than ever , with events running from Tuesday to Saturday.
▪
Watermen talked about their catches so far this year, which they said have been better than ever .
light years ahead/better etc than sth
miles older/better/too difficult etc
none the worse/better etc (for sth)
▪
Although the animal glowed rosy-pink, it appeared none the worse for its ordeal.
▪
I recovered, my mouth none the worse for it, after all.
▪
Peter's little pet was clearly none the worse for its time in the underworld.
sb had better/best do sth
sb's elders (and betters)
▪
For our purposes it may be more helpful to use the idea of desire when assessing elders .
▪
He roused himself wearily to exchange greetings with the elders as they passed him, and went in to his foster-father.
▪
In this respect at least, the procedures reflected those of a lineage or tribal meeting of elders and shaikhs.
▪
Indeed, the absence of official elders was a source of wonder to visitors from systems run by a selected few.
▪
Some, like Monta o, believe to this day that the city killed their elders .
▪
The Oaks are the Elders of the Forest and the others are aware of it.
▪
The weary elders of the 1980s take revenge at last upon the hapless victims of the 1960s.
the best/better part of sth
▪
Almost any child will assert that recess is the best part of the school day.
▪
Another child makes the family wretched with his crying for the better part of an hour.
▪
Converse drank the better part of the rum.
▪
For the better part of the next forty years they were to be the decisive restraints.
▪
I spent the better part of my time moping around the house, too dejected to think about practicing my stunts.
▪
It is not widely taught or particularly popular be-cause it takes the better part of a lifetime to master.
▪
This was it, the confrontation-point which he had been dreading for the best part of a week.
the sooner ( ... ) the better
▪
The sooner we get these bills paid off, the better.
▪
They knew they had to leave town, and the sooner the better.
two heads are better than one
your better half/other half
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪
new laws aimed at bettering economic conditions
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪
I think you can always better programs.
▪
In my view nothing betters a good ferret box.
▪
Rockefeller believed society could be bettered by public spending and public architecture.