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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rather
But the data shows neither problem can be blamed solely on immigration, but rather years of economic stagnation and government mismanagement.
—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
25 June 2026
Quartz doesn’t rhyme with parts, but rather shorts.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
The organization said the parties were not meant to make money, but rather to give the community a downtown spot to watch matches.
—
Sofi Zeman
june 25,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2026
The hard part is not building a record-setting sensor in a quiet lab, but rather making a device that works on a noisy bridge, near traffic, weather, steel and electrical interference.
—
Alex Krasnok,
Scientific American,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rather
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
25 June 2026
Quartz doesn’t rhyme with parts, but rather shorts.
—
Literary Hub,
25 June 2026
The organization said the parties were not meant to make money, but rather to give the community a downtown spot to watch matches.
—
Sofi Zeman
june 25,
Kansas City Star,
25 June 2026
The hard part is not building a record-setting sensor in a quiet lab, but rather making a device that works on a noisy bridge, near traffic, weather, steel and electrical interference.
—
Alex Krasnok,
Scientific American,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
Adverb
-
Make sure to aim the water to the soil and not the foliage, and preferably water in the morning.
-
Prune indeterminate tomatoes at least every couple of weeks, preferably more often, as new suckers appear on the plant.
Adverb
-
The La Roja boss didn’t react quickly enough to the situation, instead opting for more of the same after the halftime break – rightly or wrongly relying on his mainstay players who largely brought him to this point – and didn’t change anyone until the 71st minute.
-
Pages was instead competing with all NL outfielders.
Adverb
-
Switzerland has played a pretty physical game in the first half, but Canada has challenged its players at every turn, frustrating the Swiss in the attacking third after denying two different chances at the goal.
-
For decades, earthquakes pretty much anywhere met a large, unilateral US response of assistance.
Adverb
-
If CosRx can convince people to willingly slather snail mucin on their faces, trusting the brand with hair care is a pretty easy next step.
-
The idea of willingly spending some indeterminate amount of time feeling bad is unthinkable.
Adverb
-
By contrast, retirees enjoy a financial edge in such states as Minnesota, Utah and Colorado, where residents enjoy high retirement income and expenses that are relatively manageable.
-
India is seen as a laggard in the global AI race, but having the world’s second-largest workforce and relatively low labor costs has led to a boom in companies collecting data to train robots.
Adverb
-
Trump might soon gain another ideological bedfellow in Peru with the election of Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of late autocrat Alberto Fujimori.
-
Casting and ticket info will be announced soon.
Adverb
-
Ament didn’t quite reach his offensive potential at Tennessee, but this is not dissimilar to the gamble the Bucks once took on a young Antetokounmpo.
-
But the Clippers have shaken up their team quite a bit in the last few months and are a team worth watching this week.
Adverb
-
Just the same as the first round, not everything is set in stone, but Zito hinted Florida may be fairly certain of their selections.
-
The mixture should be fairly thick.
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
