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
Still, the rather conventional yacht with a tasteful but not outlandish interior, has a serious hull that is designed for serious blue-water voyaging.
—
Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025
El Camello gives himself a shake and says he’d rather be bitten by a mosquito than have one buzzing in his ear.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
However, apparently, when the Giants touched back down in New Jersey after the Broncos' loss in Week 7, talk wasn't about Xs and Os but rather whether head coach Brian Daboll had just lost his job.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Or rather, the softer parts of its underbelly.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 7 Nov. 2025
El Camello gives himself a shake and says he’d rather be bitten by a mosquito than have one buzzing in his ear.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
However, apparently, when the Giants touched back down in New Jersey after the Broncos' loss in Week 7, talk wasn't about Xs and Os but rather whether head coach Brian Daboll had just lost his job.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Or rather, the softer parts of its underbelly.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
Adverb
-
The Red Sox need a middle-of-the-order power threat, preferably a righty who can launch balls over the Green Monster.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
A little splash of any kind of milk, preferably a house made nut milk but those are hard to come by.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
His political heirs have also tried to redeem his image in the last decade, portraying him instead as a strong leader who brought stability to the country.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Nations previously interested in buying Russian aircraft have opted for Chinese or NATO offerings instead, like India choosing France's Rafale jet.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
To be honest with you, everyone on the cast is pretty horrified by her behavior.—
Jason Pham,
StyleCaster,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Late hours are a must, bathroom graffiti helps and there should be a fairly high ratio of cheap beer to, well, pretty much everything else.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Each comes to understand that the rules that prevailed during calmer times no longer hold, that to cling to them is to willingly accept privation and defeat.—
Tope Folarin,
The Atlantic,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The Michigan victim thought her love interest was seriously injured in an explosion while working on an oil rig — and willingly rushed money to help.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Training ground facilities are relatively basic compared to those of other Spanish top-flight clubs.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Because of the huge amount of money that’s put in front of the players and relatively weak fields, the opportunity to make a lot of money is very, very clear.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Fortunately, overburdened consulates may soon be a thing of the past.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Grant soon moved on, partnering with Gaia, a media company that streams content about alternative medicine and spirituality, to offer another version of his AI model.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
11 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
This new chink in the armor of dark energy resulted from Lee and colleagues from Yonsei University discovering that Type Ia supernova may not be quite so standard after all.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Which for a big break was quite old, really.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
But the reality for him, fairly or unfairly, is that if some of the habits persist, the smoke may turn to fire as the season progresses.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Still, this technology requires careful attention to bias by ensuring AI agents recognize diverse communication patterns fairly and accurately, rather than embedding harmful assumptions.—
Rachel Curry,
CNBC,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share