would rather

phrase

—used to indicate what one wants or prefers to do, have, etc.

She would rather drive than take the train.

I would rather you didn't tell them.

"If you'd rather, we can go outside." "No, thanks—I'd rather not."

Which beach would you rather go to?

Examples of would rather in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, now that calls are essentially free, many people would rather text than talk. — Larry Magid, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

It’s aimed more at campers, drivers, field workers, and anyone who would rather carry one very chunky device than several separate gadgets. — New Atlas, 5 July 2026

What does my company do so well that someone would rather buy it than build it themselves? — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Even so, a portion of the Catalan football fanbase would rather follow others at the tournament — with Argentina, because of Lionel Messi’s links with Barca, a popular choice. — Laia Cervelló Herrero, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Rhymes for would rather

• gather
• lather