better half
A person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wifeA person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wife.
» Where's your better half?
Meaning
2 sensesA person's spouse or lover, most commonly a man's wife.
Near-synonyms: other half (neutral valence), ball and chain (negative valence)
Let me ask my better half and get back to you.
bessere Hälfte
дража́йшая полови́наdražájšaja polovína, полови́наpolovína
(archaic)A very close friend or companion.
- a person's partner in marriage
Examples
9 sentencesWhere's your better half?
Have you found your better half?
ruТы нашёл свою вторую половинку?
The better half of my life is gone.
Come along; I will introduce you to my better half.
ruПойдёмте, я представлю вас своей благоверной.
He's found his better half.
Translations
6 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Ultimately from such Latin poetic phrases as animae dīmidium meae (“half of my soul”) (HorUltimately from such Latin poetic phrases as animae dīmidium meae (“half of my soul”) (Horace writing about Virgil), when it instead referred to a close friend (compare soulmate). First written instance of it meaning “spouse” was in 1580 by Sir Philip Sidney.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: better halves| Singular | better half |
|---|---|
| Plural | better halves |
regular
Synonyms
12 synonyms- a person's partner in marriage:spousepartnermarried personmate