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
While Burke is rather shy about his TV heartthrob status, fans still show him a lot of love on social media.
—
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Congressional appropriations don't fund passport processing; rather, processing is primarily funded by passport applications, so this service isn't directly impacted by the government shutdown.
—Lauren David, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025
Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic has unveiled a rather stark reality for Moore on that front.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In one rather cliched moment, Springsteen is buying his first new car.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Congressional appropriations don't fund passport processing; rather, processing is primarily funded by passport applications, so this service isn't directly impacted by the government shutdown.
—Lauren David, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025
Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic has unveiled a rather stark reality for Moore on that front.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
In one rather cliched moment, Springsteen is buying his first new car.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
Adverb
-
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
-
As the search continues for a permanent home, Kaplan told Newsweek that Nikki would need to be the only dog in the home, and preferably one without young children.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Hailey opted out of wearing Blue Jays gear, instead choosing a gray hooded jacket.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Zettel then decided renting a hotel room for the night would be too expensive and let her daughter sleep in her car instead.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
And many of her makeup looks are not really designed to be worn out to a party, as the prosthetics can get pretty hot and sometimes even impair her visibility.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
But even though Toews and Kane are still roaming NHL rinks, that past is pretty far back now.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Most national leaders, after all, do not willingly associate themselves with diarrhea.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Jan began receiving love letters from Berchtold and willingly wrote back.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Although Harrison is relatively new to UFC, she's been professionally fighting for years.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The University of Miami law school graduate was a relatively young prosecutor in 2004 when she was chosen to lead a team to prosecute Smith — who was ultimately convicted of the murders of six people, mostly associated with gang activity and drug trade.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Mendes posted photos from her engagement party on Instagram, including one of the soon-to-be bride, Petsch, and Reinhart sharing an emotional hug at the event.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Many people feel the need to go to the bathroom soon after their first sip of coffee.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois,
Health,
29 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The experiment discovered that AI could fulfill this role quite well.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The maze is quite scary, including an It-style clown with a chainsaw, chainsaw-wielding doctors in scrubs, and Beryl at the center of it all as the town’s biggest cultural claim to fame, the Headless Horseman.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
In the first fight, Dern edged out two rounds to take a 29-28 decision, winning the first round fairly comfortably on the feet and outlanding Jandiroba 28-19.—
Brett Appley,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Yet over a decade later, the constitution remains provisional and there is no clear agreement on how the central government in Mogadishu shares power with Somalia’s seven member states—some of which operate fairly autonomously.—
Omar S Mahmood,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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