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

People would rather yell at pundits on television than reach for their reading glasses. —Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

With the monetary system in a free-fall, some Iranians would rather have a beneficent king than all these pretenders oh-so-interested in the people. —Editorial Board, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026

Community meetings have indicated that most residents would rather renovate the community center than rebuild it, and that is the city’s preferred plan. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026

Sirianni would rather give his regulars more time to rest, heal up from nagging injuries and start preparing for potential playoff opponents than risk injury to Hurts and others with only seeding at stake. —Dan Gelston, Chicago Tribune, 3 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for would rather

• gather
• lather