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
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Recent Examples of rather
Suffice it to say, the Buccaneers’ receiving corps — missing several noteworthy pass catchers — is rather depleted.
—
Brad Evans, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
But to see the greatest number of meteors, don't look in the direction of the radiant, but rather about 30 degrees from it, in the direction of the point directly overhead (the zenith).
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Not a full-size kitchen, of course, but rather a miniature replica of a kitchen, a tiny kitchen with a tiny table where two tiny dolls sit, blank-eyed and smiling and ready to eat an invisible meal.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Roald Dahl made his career writing children’s books that dared to be mean (yes, sometimes in rather unfortunate ways).
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Brad Evans, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
But to see the greatest number of meteors, don't look in the direction of the radiant, but rather about 30 degrees from it, in the direction of the point directly overhead (the zenith).
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Not a full-size kitchen, of course, but rather a miniature replica of a kitchen, a tiny kitchen with a tiny table where two tiny dolls sit, blank-eyed and smiling and ready to eat an invisible meal.
—Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Roald Dahl made his career writing children’s books that dared to be mean (yes, sometimes in rather unfortunate ways).
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
Adverb
-
The white paper recommends limiting play to one game a week in the fall and spring semesters, preferably on weekends.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Wait for a cloudy day, preferably before rain.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Skip the coffee, cocktails, and carbonated drinks—here’s what to eat instead for a smoother journey.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Oct. 2025
-
But the glaciers don’t stop at the shoreline; instead, colossal floating plates of ice hundreds of meters thick extend over the sea.—
Evan Howell,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The pair, who were dating for around eight months, were pretty open with their romance, showing PDA in public and being seen together repeatedly.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
17 Oct. 2025
-
That’s pretty serious stuff, right?—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
17 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Jan began receiving love letters from Berchtold and willingly wrote back.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The first rule of power politics is that nobody relinquishes authority willingly.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The pair keep a relatively low profile but have collaborated on productions including Wickline’s theater project, Dukes Forever, which Hornbuckle directed.—
Alyssa Davis,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Keeping with tradition, ADD Drug’s menu has remained relatively unchanged over the past six decades—including the old-school prices.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
18 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
It will soon be connected to Oaxaca City next year for easy access.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Revolutionary groups, often recruited from universities and the intelligentsia, were soon carrying out terrorist attacks in the cities.—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
This shortfall was quite disappointing.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Oct. 2025
-
There’s also been quite a bit of slash and burn.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
24 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
But with that said, the city has a fairly robust public transportation system, so out-of-town visitors can get around on Long Beach Transit buses.—
Cu Fleshman,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Before that, former President Barack Obama oversaw fairly sustained deficit reduction, but that was only after Tea Party Republicans forced his hand in response to his $1 trillion deficit expansion in 2009.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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