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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
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ 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
Or, if you rather, opt for simply garlic salt, garlic powder or even a garlic puree to avid any sort of texture whatsoever.
Financial experts typically advise patience rather than bailing out.
In any case, it wasn’t a nickname that turned the Kings’ line around but rather the addition of Kuzmenko on the left side.
Nor, apparently, was elementary logic: How many people voted for Trump believing that foreign companies, rather than they themselves, would pay the tariffs on imports?
Still, it was rather telling that with a government shutdown deadline looming, Johnson was not able to rally his troops around the bill’s merit but rather their dislike of rainbow flags.
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Related 51Թs
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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