Bitter vs Better - What's the difference?
bitter | better |
Having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance).
:
*
*:Long after his cigar burnt bitter , he sat with eyes fixed on the blaze. When the flames at last began to flicker and subside, his lids fluttered, then drooped?; but he had lost all reckoning of time when he opened them again to find Miss Erroll in furs and ball-gown kneeling on the hearth.
Harsh, piercing or stinging.
:
*1999 , (Neil Gaiman), Stardust , p.31 (Perennial paperback edition)
*:It was at the end of February,.
Hateful or hostile.
:
*(Bible), (w) iii. 19
*:Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Cynical and resentful.
:
(usually in the plural bitters) A liquid or powder, made from bitter herbs, used in mixed drinks or as a tonic.
* 1773 , Oliver Goldsmith,
A type of beer heavily flavored with hops.
(nautical) A turn of a cable about the bitts.
(good)
* {{quote-video, date = 2002-11-01
, title =
, episode =
, number = 4
, passage = Badger:'' You think you're better''' than other people.
''Mal:'' Just the ones I'm ' better than. }} (well)
larger, greater
* 1901 , ,
More, in reference to value, distance, time, etc.
To improve.
* Wordsworth
* Thackeray
* Macaulay
To become better; to improve.
To surpass in excellence; to exceed; to excel.
* Hooker
To give advantage to; to support; to advance the interest of.
* Milton
(slang) Had better.
An entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.
* Hooker
As adjectives the difference between bitter and better
is that bitter is having an acrid taste (usually from a basic substance) while better is comparative of good.As nouns the difference between bitter and better
is that bitter is a liquid or powder, made from bitter herbs, used in mixed drinks or as a tonic while better is an entity, usually animate, deemed superior to another; one who has a claim to precedence; a superior.As verbs the difference between bitter and better
is that bitter is to make bitter while better is to improve.As an adverb better is
comparative of well POS=adverb.bitter
English
Adjective
(en-adj)Usage notes
* The one-word comparative form (bitterer) and superlative form (bitterest) exist, but are less common than their two-word counterparts (term) and (term).Derived terms
* bitter pill to swallowSee also
* bitter endAntonyms
* (cynical and resentful) optimisticSynonyms
* (cynical and resentful) jadedNoun
(en noun)- Thus I begin: "All is not gold that glitters,
- "Pleasure seems sweet, but proves a glass of bitters .
Derived terms
* brought up to a bitterbetter
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) better, bettre, betre, from (etyl) .Adjective
(head)''Mal:'' Just the ones I'm ' better than. }}
Derived terms
* better dead than red * better half * better off * betterness * better part of * get betterAdverb
(head)- “I’ve had enough of cycling with you chaps. I can spend my Sundays better than in tormenting cats and quarrelling and fighting.”
- ten miles and better
Derived terms
* had better * 'd betterVerb
(en verb)- Love betters what is best.
- He thought to better his circumstances.
- the constant effort of every man to better himself
- (Carlyle)
- The works of nature do always aim at that which can not be bettered .
- Weapons more violent, when next we meet, / May serve to better us and worse our foes.
- You better do that if you know what's good for you.
Derived terms
* betterer * bettermentSynonyms
* See alsoNoun
(en noun)- He quickly found Ali his better in the ring.
- Their betters would hardly be found.