Bettered

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Caused something to become better in quality or condition ; achieved a performance superior to another's in a contest or comparison
2. Made progress by enhancing or refining an object, skill, or situation ; surpassed or conquered an opponent or rival in any competitive context
3. Improved or upgraded the state of something ; won against someone in competition or comparison by doing better

Etymology: "Bettered" is the past tense and past participle of "better," used as a verb. The verb "to better" was formed in English from the comparative adjective "better," which came into use in Old English as the comparative of "good." Its earliest verb sense was to improve something, and the surpassing sense of defeating a rival developed from that same idea of getting ahead of someone else. Because "bettered" is simply the inflected form of that verb, its history is that of "better" itself. The comparative "better" is an ancient survival of the Germanic system that formed comparatives with the suffix "-iz" and built the irregular form from a different root than "good." Its suppletive pairing with "good" is a historical accident rather than a deliberate pattern.

Synonyms: improved, enhanced

Antonyms: worsened, deteriorated