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
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Recent Examples of rather
The book—or rather, the section of the book that covers the miraculous story of the school bus that McKay drove to safety after responding to an emergency call—became the basis of Greengrass’ movie co-written by Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby.
—
Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
In the Milei administration, one main node of this network appears to be advisor Caputo, who isn’t officially a public servant but rather a freelancer, and therefore doesn’t have to disclose wealth or assets.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Or, rather, someone dressed in a panther costume.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
The way to avoid these limitations isn’t to abandon quantum field theory, but rather to go beyond the perturbative approach of Feynman diagrams, and to perform the full analytic calculations demanded by the underlying quantum field theory.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
In the Milei administration, one main node of this network appears to be advisor Caputo, who isn’t officially a public servant but rather a freelancer, and therefore doesn’t have to disclose wealth or assets.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Or, rather, someone dressed in a panther costume.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
The way to avoid these limitations isn’t to abandon quantum field theory, but rather to go beyond the perturbative approach of Feynman diagrams, and to perform the full analytic calculations demanded by the underlying quantum field theory.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
Adverb
-
That means chaotic mornings, trying to get everyone in your house dressed, fed, and out the door—preferably without any tantrums along the way.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The resort’s coastal location provides many perfect spots to see the sun sinking into the Pacific each evening (preferably with a cocktail or a glass of wine in hand).—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Voters instead delivered gains to both far-right and far-left parties.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
-
In one practice, McCarthy refused to throw an easy short pass and opted instead to throw a deeper-developing route.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Aston Villa, on the other hand, had a pretty flat summer, albeit redeemed by what looks like an excellent deal for Harvey Elliott on deadline day.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Though his interests were that of a pretty typical child — computing and gaming, playing the saxophone, enjoying soccer and time with his pets — he was also known for his acts of kindness and generosity.—
Lauren Costantino
September 6,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Some American companies, including Olaplex, have willingly removed the ingredient from their formulas.—
Keyaira Boone,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Hopper had also purchased three videos from a website of men willingly having their genitals removed, the BBC reported.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Since the 1980s, the number of games played per decade has been relatively consistent.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Unemployment has stayed relatively low in part because of dampened demand for workers as well as a depressed supply (people aging out of the workforce as well as reductions in immigrant workers).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The deeper the water, the sooner a vehicle loses traction on the road.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The peak of hurricane season is here, and activity could soon ramp up, despite the relative quiet currently occurring in the tropics, according to meteorologists.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
In short, The Paper doesn’t quite escape the shadow of its big brother, but that’s just fine with us.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
But then Belly scraps her Parisian plans and pledges her young life to Jeremiah, a rising super senior at Finch majoring in getting high and going to Cabo (which, quite honestly, is more age-appropriate than a wedding).—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Any veggie that's long and fairly sturdy when cut is fair game.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Dropping Meat Boy into a 3D world adds a brand new layer of complexity to a platforming series that was already fairly tough to begin with.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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