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

Banijay Entertainment boss Marco Bassetti, who will be honored with the Variety Vanguard Award at the Mipcom confab, lets his track record do the talking, and would rather discuss profit margins and business than accolades. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025

Amorim would rather take a pin to any bubble of hope around United after their 2-0 victory over Sunderland. —Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025

While pie crust seems to be fading away, some chefs would rather think completely outside the box by creating a completely different crust. —Amber Love Bond, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025

Indeed, the youngest generation of workers are reshaping the world of work and forcing employers to rethink their flexible work policies because many would rather attempt being their own boss than stick with an outdated employer. —Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for would rather

• gather
• lather