also: ほうがまし
would rather; preferable; better (than the alternative)
Expresses that something is preferable to a worse alternative, often with a nuance of reluctant acceptance. Commonly used in the pattern 「～より（は）～方がマシ」 or 「～くらいなら～方がマシ」.
あの店より、こっちの方がマシだ。
This place is better than that shop.
何もしないより、少しでもやる方がマシだ。
Doing even a little is better than doing nothing.
Common mixed kanji-katakana spelling. The katakana マシ is often used for emphasis or casual tone.
Hiragana spelling; slightly softer or more neutral than the katakana variant.
Kanji spelling using 増し; less common and may be seen in more formal or written contexts.
Combination of 方 (ほう, 'direction/side') + が (subject marker) + マシ/まし/増し ('better, preferable'). The マシ part is from the adjective 増し (まし), meaning 'better' or 'superior', often used in comparisons.