rather

Study(17)

/ˈɹɑː.ðə(ɹ)/

adv 5adj 1intj 1noun 1verb 1

Collocations

ADJ.

all, dead, expensive, friendly, live, needed, other, stubborn

The new restaurant in town is rather expensive, so we don't go there very often.

VERB + RATHER

drink, go, like, look, say, seems, stay, stuff

I would rather go to the beach than sit inside on a sunny day.

RATHER + NOUN

anything, bird, bucks, country, damietta, home, town

I'd rather stay home than go out to the crowded mall tonight.

PREP.

in, out, out, than, up

I'd rather stay in tonight than go out to the noisy bar.

Definitions

adv

Used to specify a choice or preference; preferably, in preference to. (Now usually followed by than)

I'd rather not have spent all the money, but it really was an emergency.

I would like this one rather than the other one.

Used to introduce a contradiction; on the contrary.

It wasn't supposed to be popular; rather, it was supposed to get the job done.

She didn't go along, but rather went home instead.

Introducing a qualification or clarification; more precisely. (Now usually preceded by or.)

What the pupil already knew was indeed rather taken for granted than expressed, but it performed the useful function of transcending all textbooks, and supplanting all studies.

1898, J. A. Hamilton, "Stanley, Edward George Geoffrey Smith", in Sidney Lee (Ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, Volume LIV: Stanhope–Stovin, The MacMillan Company, page 60, His ‘Iliad’ is spirited and polished, and, though often rather a paraphrase than a translation, is always more truly poetic than most of the best translations.

Somewhat, quite; to an unexpected degree.

It's been rather/quite a good meal overall, but this melon is rather too tasteless.

We had some rather worse news today.

More quickly.

Pompey, being elated and filled with confidence by this victory, made all haste to engage Sertorius himself, and the rather lest Metellus should come in for a share in the honour of the victory.

adj

Prior; earlier; former.

Now no man dwelleth at the rather town of Damietta.

intj

An enthusiastic affirmation.

Would you like some? –Rather!

"Do you mean to say, young man," she said frostily, "that you expect me to drink this stuff?" ¶ "Rather! Bucks you up, you know."

Thesaurus

Synonyms

adverb — to some (great or small) extent

kinda

adverb — to a degree (not used with a negative)

quite

adverb — on the contrary

instead

adverb — more readily or willingly

preferably
sooner

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

I'd rather not have spent all the money, but it really was an emergency.

Wiktionary

I would like this one rather than the other one.

Wiktionary

I s'pose we'd better clean the kitchen, but we had much rather not do anything right now.

Wiktionary

Now no man dwelleth at the rather town of Damietta.

Wiktionary

Would you like some? –Rather!

Wiktionary

"Do you mean to say, young man," she said frostily, "that you expect me to drink this stuff?" ¶ "Rather! Bucks you up, you know."

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, rather is marked as obsolete, dated, informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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