What does betime mean?
Betime is an archaic English adverb meaning early — either sooner than usual or simply in good time. Formed from the preposition 'by' plus 'time', it once served as a perfectly ordinary way to say that someone rose, set out, or arrived ahead of schedule, and it appears frequently in the works of Shakespeare and other Renaissance writers: characters are told to go to bed betime or to rise betime. In contemporary usage it has fallen almost entirely out of ordinary speech, surviving chiefly in poetry, historical novels, and deliberate pastiche, where its slightly antique flavour lends texture and formality. Writers who employ it today do so for stylistic effect rather than necessity, since 'early' or 'in good time' convey the same meaning plainly. Its rhyming shape has also made it attractive to poets seeking a rhyme for words like 'climb' or 'chime'. For readers encountering older texts, recognising betime as a simple synonym of 'early' unlocks many otherwise puzzling lines.
At an early hour; before the usual or expected time.
"They retired betime on the eve of the long journey."
Archaic; used today only in literary or humorous registers.
In good time; promptly, without delay.
"Send word betime, so that preparations may be made."
A secondary sense now largely merged with the first.
Shakespeare loved this word so much he used it again and again — 'betime' simply means 'early', but it makes any sentence sound like poetry.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of betime
Betime is a compound of Middle English origins, formed from the preposition 'by' (in the sense of 'during' or 'at') combined with 'time'. It arose in Middle English and remained in regular use through the Early Modern period, appearing frequently in Shakespeare's plays and in the King James Bible era's prose. The word belongs to the same Germanic root that gives us the noun 'time' itself, making 'timely' and related forms distant kin. It gradually fell from everyday use after the seventeenth century, persisting only as a literary archaism.
How betime is actually used
Betime is archaic or deliberately literary in modern English; it survives mainly in poetry, historical fiction, and quotations from earlier literature. It carries a quaint, elevated connotation and would sound affected in everyday speech.
Easily confused with betime
Bedim is a verb meaning to make dim or darken, whereas betime is an adverb meaning early.