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
Most likely, their vanishing was not the result of direct contact with humans but, rather, was caused by the depletion of the large animals that were key to their diet.
—
D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Last year featured a quirky and rather enjoyable mystery focusing on why a minor character Susan Triad (Susan Twist) kept appearing in every episode.
—Scott Bryan, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
Health concerns weren’t the only reason for the ban, however; rather, some voters believed claims that fluoridation was part of a communist plot against the country.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, and Kutter Crawford are opening the year on the IL, a rather rough introduction for a rotation that is high on upside and low on durability.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
Last year featured a quirky and rather enjoyable mystery focusing on why a minor character Susan Triad (Susan Twist) kept appearing in every episode.
—Scott Bryan, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
Health concerns weren’t the only reason for the ban, however; rather, some voters believed claims that fluoridation was part of a communist plot against the country.
—Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2025
Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, and Kutter Crawford are opening the year on the IL, a rather rough introduction for a rotation that is high on upside and low on durability.
—Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rather
Adverb
-
Pour out leftover water, preferably into a nearby plant.—
Kelly Dawson,
Architectural Digest,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Chicago Blackhawks – Connor Bedard is a tremendous talent, but the Hawks need a sidekick of equal skill – preferably someone bigger than Bedard’s 5-foot-10 stature – to take some heat off him.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
20 Mar. 2025
Adverb
-
Across the world, Burmese people living overseas have echoed that concern, instead imploring those who wish to help to donate to grassroots organizations.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
3 Apr. 2025
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For anyone who books the part, Legacy said to not wash their vehicle and instead keep it dusty and dirty.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
That, alongside the burner phones, the car, and the pretty close match on the description, was enough for an arrest.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
4 Apr. 2025
-
For battered commercial broadcasters, who have been weathering an ongoing TV ad market storm since the pandemic, this sounds like pretty grim news.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
4 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
But if Trump lowers them through negotiations relatively quickly, the worst-case scenario can be avoided.—
Time,
Time,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Gold has been used as currency for millennia and formed the basis for many monetary systems until relatively recently, but its weaknesses are now apparent.—
Edward Fishman,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Her thriller novel that’s soon due is about to go unfinished, so her husband Jeremy (Hartnett) offers a struggling writer named Lowen (Johnson) a huge sum of money to complete the remaining books in the series.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
3 Apr. 2025
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The precious cargo was soon rolling toward the James River and the safety of the ship’s hold.—
Andrew Lawler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
There are few experiences that encapsulate the magic of New York City quite like seeing a Broadway show.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
None have made a splash quite like The Devonshire, a Georgian-era Soho boozer that publican Oisín Rogers, Charlie Carroll, and chef Ashley Palmer-Watts have transformed into one of the hottest tickets in town.—
Amiel Stanek,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
As international e-commerce has grown, so too has the complexity of taxing it fairly and effectively.—
Aleksandra Bal,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Then there’s his team, a collection of young players who currently look fairly clueless but might be much better in a different environment.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
This time, her character is a human, Laurie Duffy, who's vacationing only somewhat successfully with two old friends (Michelle Monaghan's Jaclyn Lemon and Leslie Bibb's Kate Bohr).—
Raechal Shewfelt,
EW.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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After earlier demonstrations that were somewhat sporadic, Saturday marked the first attempt to surround all 277 of the automaker’s showrooms and service centers in the U.S. in hopes of deepening a recent decline in the company’s sales.—
Michael Liedtke,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rather. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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