1
as in preferably
by choice or preference
I would rather go to the movies than stay at home
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in instead
as a substitute
don't think of the placement test as torture but rather as a chance to show off how much you know
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pretty
to some degree or extent
I say, don't you think that's rather expensive for a hamburger?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rather
In my opinion, this is not a tax reduction but rather a striking and destructive tax shift.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2026
But it's taken a rather convoluted journey to reach us a dozen centuries later.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 11 June 2026
This point is important since the issue at hand is not about the use of artificial intelligence, but rather what human decisions were made by which individual to create the final product.
—Terdawn Deboe, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The members of Heaven’s Gate are just waiting to ascend to the Next Level, which will happen when the UFOs arrive, taking them — or, rather, their beings freed from their vehicles — aboard.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rather
Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2026
But it's taken a rather convoluted journey to reach us a dozen centuries later.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 11 June 2026
This point is important since the issue at hand is not about the use of artificial intelligence, but rather what human decisions were made by which individual to create the final product.
—Terdawn Deboe, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
The members of Heaven’s Gate are just waiting to ascend to the Next Level, which will happen when the UFOs arrive, taking them — or, rather, their beings freed from their vehicles — aboard.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
Adverb
-
Choose healthy plants, preferably ones with round leaves, such as jade plants.—
Maria Sabella,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 June 2026
-
Signing an attacker — preferably with versatility and the ability to play across the front line, like Gordon, rather than merely an out-and-out left-winger — is of the utmost priority, alongside bringing in a new No 1.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adverb
-
The Tigers would head to the Sugar Bowl by way of conference tie-ins, and while another top-10 victory over Virginia Tech in New Orleans would sway several other pollsters to rank Auburn as the top team in the land, the big ones that counted awarded the Trojans with the crystal football instead.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
But the officers descend upon an innocent Black man standing nearby instead.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Adverb
-
First of all, the president’s name is redacted throughout, yet everything else seems pretty familiar to me.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
After the two hitters, the two outs felt pretty good.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
Then there was Officer Niwa, who willingly fielded questions across from Moynihan Hall.—
Antonio Ferme,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
Bell, who’d willingly chosen the juco route, was more interested in sincere investments in his development than instant money.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
8 June 2026
Adverb
-
An engaging vertical series can produce bigger bang for the buck than one-off collabs with digital influencers, execs says, coming in with a relatively affordable production budget.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
Testing kits used in the region were designed to detect the Zaire strain of the virus, which is more common, rather than the Bundibugyo virus, which is relatively rare.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
Adverb
-
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 June 2026
-
But that could change soon as the Bank of Japan has been hiking rates while hotter inflation has lifted Japanese government bond yields, which are now looking more attractive and emerging as an alternative to Treasury bonds.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
Adverb
-
However, xGC estimates that even with Lionel Messi, their roster doesn’t quite contain the same threat as teams like France and Spain.—
Ethan Douglas,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
There's nothing quite like growing a classic apple tree (Malus domestica) in your garden.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
9 June 2026
Adverb
-
The icy comet body itself, surrounded by this dust, may have been fairly Earth-like after all.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
12 June 2026
-
Most of the highway was fairly empty.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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