Meanings
- datednot comparableIn good season or time; early, especially in the morning; seasonably.
Smart lad to slip betimes away From fields where glory does not stay.
1896, A. E. Housman, “To An Athlete Dying Young,”, in A Shropshire Lad5 more examples
Behold, as wilde asses in the desart, goe they foorth to their worke, rising betimes for a pray: the wildernes yeeldeth food for them, and for their children.
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Job 24:5They slept well that night and betimes next morning the mother of Alaeddin arose and went with her bowl to the King's court which she found closed.
1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC“I’ll answer for it, that he hath faced both the Catalan and the Moor, in his time, young as he may seem. Thou knowest that the nobles are wont to carry their sons, as children, early into the fight, that they may learn the deeds of chivalry betimes.”
1840, [James Fenimore Cooper], chapter I, in Mercedes of Castile: Or, The Voyage to Cathay. […], volume I, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC, page 20I was up betimes in the morning, but Holmes was afoot earlier still, for I saw him as I dressed, coming up the drive.
1902, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 13, in The Hound of the BaskervillesHowever they dined very early, for the winter dusk fell betimes at this season [...].
1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance (Avignon Quintet), Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 786 - archaicnot comparableIn a short time, soon; quickly, forthwith.
Reproving betimes with sharpness...and afterward showing forth an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved[…]
1839, Doctrine and Covenants, 121:431 more example
[O]ne prayed God right heartily aloud that He would send them betimes a knight that durst convoy them through this strait pass.
1898, The High History of the Holy Graal, translated by Sebastian Evans, Branch IX, Title II
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbin good time
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishbetymes
- Englishbetimes
From Middle English betymes, from bi (“by”) + time + adverbial -s. By surface analysis, betime + -s (adverbial suffix). Compare also betides.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian навреме, своевременно
- навреме (navreme)in good season or time
- своевременно (svoevremenno)in good season or time
Estonian vara
- varain good season or time
Finnish aikaisin, pian
- aikaisinin good season or time
- pianin good season or time
German beizeiten
- beizeitenin good season or time
Polish zawczasu
- zawczasuin good season or time
Scottish Gaelic moch
- mochin good season or time
Spanish al alba
- al albain good season or time
Swedish tidigt
- tidigtin good season or time
Turkish erken, erkenden
- erkenin good season or time
- erkendenin good season or time
- vaktindein good season or time
- zamanındain good season or time
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with betimes
All rhymes →Cite this entry
betimes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/betimes
“betimes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/betimes. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “betimes,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/betimes.
Source: betimes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.