Meaning of rather in English

rather

adverb

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/ˈrɑː.ðər/ us

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/ˈræð.ɚ/

rather adverb (SMALL AMOUNT)

quite; to a slight degree:

It's rather cold today, isn't it?

That's rather a difficult book - here's an easier one for you.

The train was rather too crowded for a comfortable journey.

She answered the phone rather sleepily.

I rather doubt I'll be able to come to your party.

More examples

It is a rather grey, colourless city, with few interesting sights or historical monuments.
His books tend to be rather densely written.
The company's prospects for the future are rather dim.
She found the formality of the occasion rather daunting.
To people who don't know him he probably appears (to be) rather unfriendly.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Some and quite

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rather adverb (MORE EXACTLY)

more accurately; more exactly:

She'll fly to California on Thursday, or rather, she will if she has to.

He's my sister's friend really, rather than mine.

used to express an opposite opinion:

The ending of the war is not a cause for celebration, but rather for regret that it ever happened.

No, I'm not tired. Rather the opposite in fact.

More examples

I'll be home before 6, or rather, I will unless I get asked to stay late again.
She's not shy. Rather the opposite.
She was in a good mood, or rather she was until she heard the bad news.
They go on holiday to France every year, or rather, they have done for the last ten years.
He's selling his flat, or rather, he will sell it if he can find a buyer.

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Also, extra, and in addition

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rather adverb (PREFERENCE)

rather than

instead of; used especially when you prefer one thing to another:

I think I'd like to stay at home this evening rather than go out.

More examples

You can use cocoa powder to make the cake rather than chocolate - it's a bit of a cheat, but nobody notices the difference.
Helicopters are mainly used for military rather than civil use.
The matter would be better dealt with in the civil court rather than by an expensive criminal proceeding.
Most convalescents prefer to be cared for at home rather than in a hospital.
I prefer photographing people rather than places.

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Replacing and exchanging

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would rather

(also 'd rather)

used to show that you prefer to have or do one thing more than another:

I'd rather have a beer.

Which would you rather do - go swimming or play tennis?

Wouldn't you rather finish it tomorrow?

He'd rather die than (= he certainly does not want to) let me think he needed help.

More examples

I'd rather not have any mushrooms, thanks.
I'd rather get a taxi than wait for the bus.
Would you rather eat now or later?
I'd rather watch a film with subtitles than one dubbed into English.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Liking more

Grammar

Rather

We use rather as a degree adverb (rather cold, rather nice). We also use it to express alternatives and preferences (green rather than blue, coffee rather than tea, slowly rather than quickly). …

Rather as a degree adverb

We use rather to give emphasis to an adjective or adverb. It has a similar meaning to quite when quite is used with gradable words. It is more formal than quite. We often use it to express something unexpected or surprising: …

Ratherthan: alternatives and preferences

We use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared: …

Or rather

We use or rather to correct ourselves: …

Idiom

rather you than me

rather

adverb, predeterminer

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/ˈrɑː.ðər/ us

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/ˈræð.ɚ/

very; to a large degree:

Actually, I did rather well in my exams.

I've got rather a lot of work to do at the moment.

More examples

He boobed rather badly by getting her name wrong.
I think my husband is the most handsome man in the world, but I realize my judgment is rather subjective.
I've had a sort-out in the bedroom - it's looking rather better.
I heard something rather worrying at work this morning.
Jane has rather a sharp tongue, I'm afraid.

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Linguistics: very & extreme

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Grammar

Rather

We use rather as a degree adverb (rather cold, rather nice). We also use it to express alternatives and preferences (green rather than blue, coffee rather than tea, slowly rather than quickly). …

Rather as a degree adverb

Ratherthan: alternatives and preferences

We use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared: …

Or rather

We use or rather to correct ourselves: …

rather

exclamation

UK old-fashioned

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/ˌrɑːˈðɜːr/ us

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/ˌræðˈɝː/

certainly; yes:

"Do you want to come out for dinner with us this evening?" "Rather!"

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Yes, no & not

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Grammar

Rather

We use rather as a degree adverb (rather cold, rather nice). We also use it to express alternatives and preferences (green rather than blue, coffee rather than tea, slowly rather than quickly). …

Rather as a degree adverb

Ratherthan: alternatives and preferences

We use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared: …

Or rather

We use or rather to correct ourselves: …

(Definition of rather from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

rather | American Dictionary

rather

adverb [ not gradable ]

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/ˈræð·ər, ˈrɑ·ðər/

rather adverb [not gradable] (PREFERABLY)

in preference to, or as a preference:

She wants us to meet her here rather than go to her apartment.

I’d rather wear the black shoes.

She’s saying things that many would rather not hear.

rather adverb [not gradable] (MORE EXACTLY)

more accurately; more exactly:

These were not common criminals, but rather enemies of the state.

rather

adjective, adverb [ not gradable ]

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/ˈræð·ər, ˈrɑ·ðər/

rather adjective, adverb [not gradable] (TO SOME DEGREE)

to a noticeable degree; somewhat:

It all seems rather unimportant.

(Definition of rather from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of rather

rather

The intentions of policy thus need to be seen against the plans rather than the outcomes.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

How do you know that said popinjays aren't sitting on the background rather than the stripe (the ordinary)?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from the Cambridge English Corpus and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

More examples Fewer examples

Analysis of single channel records indicate that the effect is to favor transition to a substate rather than to physically alter the conductance pathway.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Their connection was purely mechanical, rather than teleological.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

We can differentiate these categories as purely lexical, rather than syntactic.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In this sense they corresponded with purely phonological rather than morphosyntactic attributes of the input.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Actual choices are relevant not to the idea of the right but rather to its direction of exercise with respect to the protected domain.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In live performance, their bodies are exposed to view rather than protected by instruments.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The findings underline the importance of using specific rather than general tasks to assess phonology, phonological sensitivity, and phonological representations.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Past studies have focused on the effects of density on spoken language processing, rather than the effects of density on the structure of lexical representations.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Clearly, the public health official is not replacing the physician; rather, ethicists now realize a need to be in dialogue with both.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It is, rather, a matter of what it is that parties can choose and what they can influence.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This test did not reject the hypothesis of orthogonality so the estimation was done through a random effects model rather than a fixed effects model.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Ground-penetrating radar is also treated rather briefly, with no description of field techniques.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Therefore, growth rates may increase over time simply because the initial and descendant cells are recovering from treatment rather than evolving.

From the Cambridge English Corpus