Bested

[Johnyxxx]

Hello,

Reading a story, I have come across an archaic word bested. I have found out it could mean to help or to profit or to get the upper hand but still I do not know what to choose to suit the context below. (though my money is on the third alternative).

A scornful, yet lugubrious, smile stole over the fruit merchant's purplish features. He would be honest about it. He positively enjoyed acknowledging when a rival had bested him over a bargain. He would even agree that he had always nursed his own little superstitions. And now all that fine, silly talk—sheer fudge.

Walter de la Mare, The Tree, 192?

Thank you very much.

 

[emsr2d2]

Yes, to "get the upper hand" is the closest. For me, "bested" simply means "beat". In your sentence, it would read "... a rival had beaten him ...".

 

[Rover_KE]

Another useful idiom to know is '... a rival had got the better of him ....'

 

[tedmc]

A rival had edged him out.

 

[Skrej]

I don't know if I would consider 'bested' archaic, however. It may not be widely used, but I wouldn't say 'archaic' yet.