would rather

idiom

—used to indicate what one wants or prefers to do, have, etc.

She would rather drive than take the train.

I would rather you didn't tell them.

"If you'd rather, we can go outside." "No, thanks—I'd rather not."

Which beach would you rather go to?

Examples of would rather in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Komasa’s film would rather not get hung up on the details. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 28 Oct. 2025

Vance Joseph builds his game plan around the reigning defensive player of the year, funneling work his way for quarterbacks who would rather eat tinfoil than throw in Surtain’s direction. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025

Moderates would rather see a shorter funding patch to work out regular appropriations bills, while others don't want any more shutdown brinksmanship until early next year. —Zac Anderson, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025

There’s certainly no subtlety to the reveal that Esther, who usually attends the party as Queen Esther, would rather change it up and be a sexy cat this year. —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for would rather

• gather
• lather