rather

[rath-er, rah-ther, 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

1. on the contrary

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

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 had rather

   I would much rather we just went home.

   We would rather go for dinner after the show.

see had rather.

Example Sentences

Investors who own the broader market, rather than concentrated bets in artificial intelligence or crypto, are doing just fine.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

They were etherealized through delicate pastels, and while Brundage created images to appeal to the male gaze, she also could portray women as purposeful agents rather than passive victims.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This would punish companies that are doing Chicago a favor by staying in downtown offices despite the city’s dysfunctions, rather than fleeing elsewhere.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

By contrast, today companies aren’t spending money up front and then sprinting to grow sales, but rather making a small number of sales in between investing huge amounts of capital with no apparent end point.

Read more on Barron's

“The conventional wisdom is that as yields rise in Japan, the Japanese are more likely to keep their savings at home rather than export it,” Chandler said.

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Related Words

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