rather

adverb

ˈra-t͟hər How to pronounce rather (audio)
Definition of rathernext
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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rather This is not necessarily a rebuke from the European Union, but rather from Danish politician Per Clausen, who sponsored the exhibit. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 Our instructions on how to find the Airbnb arrived via text, or rather a video recording from a friendly local virtually walking us from the parking lot to the property. — Callie Thorpe, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 For a curate, James was also rather extravagant, keeping a pack of hunters while his wife kept a fashionable carriage. — Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026 In one of his final visits there last month, Claire didn’t focus on his illness, but rather his room number. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
  1. preferably
  2. instead
  3. pretty
  4. willingly
  5. relatively
  6. soon
  7. quite
  8. fairly
Adverb
  • The advice is nearly always the same — wait until after midnight, preferably until the hours before dawn, then give your eyes half an hour to adjust to the darkness.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • In the vlog, Combs noted that his main goal for the hunting trip was to shoot, preferably with a bow, and tag a mature elk.
    — Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of preferably
Adverb
  • Neutron experiments instead found that the manganese spins remain essentially aligned.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Peggy Tanous isn’t there because she was inexplicably invited to RHUGT instead, and Peggy Sulahian isn’t there because Alex Baskin lost her number the second that season ended.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of instead
Adverb
  • Last week’s episode was pretty bad, but this one is even more disappointing in some ways.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2026
  • What’s more, this new material is actually pretty strong, with 12 MPa compressive strength and 6 MPa flexural strength.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of pretty
Adverb
  • Council member Dale Reynolds, who first made the motion to approve the ordinance, questioned whether there was any incentive for the public to willingly register their bikes.
    — Noah Daly, Idaho Statesman, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The front end simply carves into turns with the slightest shift of body position, leaning over willingly enough to eliminate conscious thought and hesitation right out of the gate.
    — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of willingly
Adverb
  • Some say the possibility of being slapped with the fees is a factor in buyers’ waning interest in condos, which have long been a relatively affordable option, at the same time that construction of new condos has continued to lag across the state.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Back in 1964, even a relatively enlightened critic like Robert Shelton, who played a pivotal role in introducing Bob Dylan to a national audience three years before, was a Beatles skeptic.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of relatively
Adverb
  • The rare show of alignment among fierce rivals was soon countered by comments from Meta’s Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, both of whom dismissed the slowdown idea.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Now, the full-scale deployment of the ClarosTechUV PFAS destruction system is soon to take place at Daikin’s manufacturing facility in Decatur.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of soon
Adverb
  • Even when Monét isn’t being quite as playful as on past releases, her personality sparkles brighter than her esteemed guests.
    — Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • No other property in Key West captures the true resort feel quite like this.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of quite
Adverb
  • The current menu is fairly limited and feels a little flat compared to Saffron, but no doubt as business ramps up, the selection will expand accordingly.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • From Lagos to the Grand Palais, Ojuromi is fairly compelling proof of the concept.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of fairly

Browse Nearby Words

rat finks
rather
ratification
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All