had better

Verb

Meaning

had better

(idiomatic, with bare infinitive, informal) Should; ought to; need to; must.
You had better finish that homework on time, if you want to get a good grade.
“Will we get it finished?” / “We had better.”
The project had better get finished by the current deadline.

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Synonyms

must should ought had best

Examples

Since everything is in our heads, we had better not lose them. Coco Chanel

I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it. Dwight D. Eisenhower

You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today; for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow. Harriet Martineau

If you believe everything you read, you had better not read. Japanese Proverb

Who grudges his blood to a blade had better earn his living behind the plow. Darkovan Proverb

The shame you can't lift away, you had better let lie. Norwegian Proverb

Close letter words and terms

had begun had bellyful had best had confidence in had contact Had crime