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rather
[ adverb rath-er, rah-ther; interjection rath-ur, rah-thur ]
adverb
- in a measure; to a certain extent; somewhat:
Some of his poems are rather good.
- in some degree:
I rather thought you would regret it.
- more properly or justly; with better reason:
The contrary is rather to be supposed.
- sooner; more readily or willingly:
to die rather than yield.
- more properly or correctly speaking; more truly:
He is a painter or, rather, a watercolorist.
- on the contrary:
It's not generosity, rather self-interest.
- rather than, instead of:
Tutoring is provided by older students rather than teachers.
Rather than complain, you should try to make changes.
interjection
- Chiefly British. emphatically yes; assuredly; without doubt:
Is the book worth reading? Rather!
rather
/ ˈɑːðə /
adverb
- relatively or fairly; somewhat
it's rather dull
- to a significant or noticeable extent; quite
she's rather pretty
- to a limited extent or degree
I rather thought that was the case
- with better or more just cause
this text is rather to be deleted than rewritten
- more readily or willingly; sooner
I would rather not see you tomorrow
sentence connector
- on the contrary
it's not cold. Rather, it's very hot indeed
sentence substitute
- an expression of strong affirmation, often in answer to a question
Is it worth seeing? Rather!
Usage
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of rather1
Idioms and Phrases
- would rather, to prefer to; to prefer that: Also Archaic or Literary, had rather. Compare sooner 1( def 7 ).
I would much rather we just went home.
We would rather go for dinner after the show.
More idioms and phrases containing rather
see had rather .Example Sentences
The policy has caused widespread fear and confusion across hundreds of US universities, with some students opting to leave the country pre-emptively rather than face possible detention or deportation.
So if Doge counts the maximum figure, that can represent projected spending over a number of years, rather than a direct saving from the country's yearly spending.
In fact, he's been seeing rather a lot of him.
It is not something I associate with any one person but rather with a particular time, this time, a certain kind of day, a specific smell in the air.
"He just said 'well I'm going and if nobody wants to come, fine, I'll go on my own', which of course was rather putting us to shame," said Archbishop Gallagher.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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