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
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Recent Examples of rather
Trump and Musk traded barbs in a rather public feud, with the U.S. president threatening to pull back billions of dollars in government contracts for Musk's companies, while the Tesla CEO suggested Trump could not have won the election without him.
—
Anniek Bao,dylan Butts,sam Meredith, CNBC, 6 June 2025
Ten years later, Jamie Wyeth remains not only my favorite artist but a rather unexpected style muse for his unapologetically unique dress sense.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 6 June 2025
But Pedro, or Joel, rather, is so painfully handsome, whoever was describing him to Abby couldn’t overlook that fact.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 25 May 2025
While Lamont points with pride to the large surpluses achieved during his tenure, critics say these weren’t inessential funds but rather were leeched from core programs that have been dangerously undermined.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Anniek Bao,dylan Butts,sam Meredith, CNBC, 6 June 2025
Ten years later, Jamie Wyeth remains not only my favorite artist but a rather unexpected style muse for his unapologetically unique dress sense.
—Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 6 June 2025
But Pedro, or Joel, rather, is so painfully handsome, whoever was describing him to Abby couldn’t overlook that fact.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 25 May 2025
While Lamont points with pride to the large surpluses achieved during his tenure, critics say these weren’t inessential funds but rather were leeched from core programs that have been dangerously undermined.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
Adverb
-
Seek shelter promptly in a safe location, preferably indoors.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
7 June 2025
-
Tickets cost around €6.60 one way (preferably cash, paid on board), and the journey takes about two hours each way.—
Erica Firpo,
AFAR Media,
4 June 2025
Adverb
-
So what could have been handled as an unfortunate encounter was instead purposely upgraded for propaganda purposes.—
Anita Chabria,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2025
-
The White House has proposed cutting the USAID OIG’s budget from $85 million to $0, instead folding its responsibilities into a similar agency at the State department with just $2.73 million in additional funding.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Adverb
-
Nobody really changes, nobody really learns anything and at the start of every episode the characters pretty much exactly the same.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
3 June 2025
-
This should sound pretty familiar to Costco shoppers, as store associates already check receipts on the way out the door.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
3 June 2025
Adverb
-
And what about billionaire Angeleno Rick Caruso, a relatively recent entrant to the Democratic Party?—
Julia Wick,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
-
Being more affordable and without a human in the cockpit makes each unit relatively more expendable, adding versatility to how they are deployed in combat situations.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
Adverb
-
Water depth - The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2025
-
Protests soon spread to cities including Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose and San Diego.—
Bethany Wales,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2025
Adverb
-
In addition, and quite importantly, the interactive nature of generative AI makes a huge difference too.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
-
Quartz’s Catherine Baab has more on the art of not quite dealing.—
Quartz Staff,
Quartz,
3 June 2025
Adverb
-
Of course, given the ubiquity of such ambitious politicians of all flavors, everywhere, all the time, the charge of cynical opportunism has fairly short legs.—
Dain Fitzgerald,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
-
This person is going to be blown literally in half, but the legs, the feet, the shoes might stay fairly comfortably in place.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 June 2025
Adverb
-
The season’s only misstep comes in the finale, when the growing tension between George and Bertha builds to a climax that is somewhat confounding and — in this viewer’s opinion — out of character for George.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
12 June 2025
-
While everyone could see the vibrant communities forming through online video, the creator economy was still so nascent that its ambitions remained somewhat muted.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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