rather

[ adverb rath-er, rah-ther; interjection rath-ur, rah-thur ]

adverb

1. in a measure; to a certain extent; somewhat:

   Some of his poems are rather good.

2. in some degree:

   I rather thought you would regret it.

3. more properly or justly; with better reason:

   The contrary is rather to be supposed.

4. sooner; more readily or willingly:

   to die rather than yield.

5. more properly or correctly speaking; more truly:

   He is a painter or, rather, a watercolorist.

6. on the contrary:

   It's not generosity, rather self-interest.

7. rather than, instead of:

   Tutoring is provided by older students rather than teachers.

   Rather than complain, you should try to make changes.

interjection

1. Chiefly British. emphatically yes; assuredly; without doubt:

   Is the book worth reading? Rather!

rather

/ ˈrɑːðə /

adverb

1. relatively or fairly; somewhat

   it's rather dull

2. to a significant or noticeable extent; quite

   she's rather pretty

3. to a limited extent or degree

   I rather thought that was the case

4. with better or more just cause

   this text is rather to be deleted than rewritten

5. more readily or willingly; sooner

   I would rather not see you tomorrow

sentence connector

1. on the contrary

   it's not cold. Rather, it's very hot indeed

sentence substitute

1. an expression of strong affirmation, often in answer to a question

   Is it worth seeing? Rather!

Usage

Both would and had are used with rather in sentences such as I would rather (or had rather ) go to the film than to the play. Had rather is less common and is now widely regarded as slightly old-fashioned

Word History and Origins

Origin of rather¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English hrathor, comparative of hræth “quick, rathe ”

Word History and Origins

Origin of rather¹

Old English hrathor comparative of hræth ready , quick; related to Old Norse hrathr

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. would rather, to prefer to; to prefer that: Also Archaic or Literary, had rather. Compare sooner ¹( def 7 ).

   I would much rather we just went home.

   We would rather go for dinner after the show.

More idioms and phrases containing rather

see had rather .

Example Sentences

Even if you pay 10% more for an item next year, for example, it could be better rather than buying something now that you end up not really needing.

From Salon

The BBC understands the regulator will say that any bonuses paid should be borne by owners and lenders to the company rather than paid by customers.

From BBC

“I tend to think it’s more important to get an FBI director who will dismantle the deep state than it is for Republicans to lose a vote 49-46 rather than 49-45. But that’s just me.”

From Salon

The Human Tissue Act only bans "commercial dealings" of human tissue in the context of medical transplantation, rather than sale as artefacts.

From BBC

"Sometimes we feel pressure to, but we would rather leave this to the experts."

From BBC

Related Words

• a bit
• a little
• comparatively
• fairly
• kind of
• pretty
• quite
• relatively
• slightly
• somewhat