资料来源 : pyDict
更好,更佳,更妙,越发好了
资料来源 : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Note: In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all too much, all
so long, etc., this word retains its appropriate sense
or becomes intensive.
2. Even; just. (Often a mere intensive adjunct.) [Obs. or
Poet.]
All as his straying flock he fed. --Spenser.
A damsel lay deploring All on a rock reclined.
--Gay.
{All to}, or {All-to}. In such phrases as ``all to rent,''
``all to break,'' ``all-to frozen,'' etc., which are of
frequent occurrence in our old authors, the all and the to
have commonly been regarded as forming a compound adverb,
equivalent in meaning to entirely, completely, altogether.
But the sense of entireness lies wholly in the word all
(as it does in ``all forlorn,'' and similar expressions),
and the to properly belongs to the following word, being a
kind of intensive prefix (orig. meaning asunder and
answering to the LG. ter-, HG. zer-). It is frequently to
be met with in old books, used without the all. Thus
Wyclif says, ``The vail of the temple was to rent:'' and
of Judas, ``He was hanged and to-burst the middle:'' i.
e., burst in two, or asunder.
{All along}. See under {Along}.
{All and some}, individually and collectively, one and all.
[Obs.] ``Displeased all and some.'' --Fairfax.
{All but}.
(a) Scarcely; not even. [Obs.] --Shak.
(b) Almost; nearly. ``The fine arts were all but
proscribed.'' --Macaulay.
{All hollow}, entirely, completely; as, to beat any one all
hollow. [Low]
{All one}, the same thing in effect; that is, wholly the same
thing.
{All over}, over the whole extent; thoroughly; wholly; as,
she is her mother all over. [Colloq.]
{All the better}, wholly the better; that is, better by the
whole difference.
{All the same}, nevertheless. ``There they [certain
phenomena] remain rooted all the same, whether we
recognize them or not.'' --J. C. Shairp. ``But Rugby is a
very nice place all the same.'' --T. Arnold. -- See also
under {All}, n.
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.