1
: with better reason or more propriety : more properly
This you should pity rather than despise.—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare2
: more readily or willingly : preferably
I'd rather not go
would rather read than watch television
—often used interjectionally to express affirmation
3
: more correctly speaking
my father, or rather my stepfather
4
: to the contrary : instead
… was no better but rather grew worse.—Mark 5:26 (Revised Standard Version)
Mark 5:26 (Revised Standard Version)5
: in some degree : somewhat
it's rather warm
—often used as a mild intensivespent rather a lot of money
Examples of rather in a Sentence
The movie is a comedy, but rather a dull one.
I think the children watch rather too much television.
It rather annoyed me that he was late picking me up.
Recent Examples on the Web
Because a bright sky helps subdue Venus's glare, this is a good time to inspect the planet telescopically, though its gibbous disk remains rather small and approximately seven-eighths illuminated.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 18 May 2026
This is a movie that defiantly refuses to ask us to take a stand in a polarized society, but rather consider that nothing is necessarily black and white, only shades of gray.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 18 May 2026
Don’t think about it as DEI but rather a blueprint to manage employee differences.
—Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Meanwhile, the Storm Prediction Center has placed a rather large area, which includes Kansas City and northeast Missouri, under an enhanced risk (Level 3 of 5) for severe weather.
—Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rather
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Joe Rao, Space.com, 18 May 2026
This is a movie that defiantly refuses to ask us to take a stand in a polarized society, but rather consider that nothing is necessarily black and white, only shades of gray.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 18 May 2026
Don’t think about it as DEI but rather a blueprint to manage employee differences.
—Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Meanwhile, the Storm Prediction Center has placed a rather large area, which includes Kansas City and northeast Missouri, under an enhanced risk (Level 3 of 5) for severe weather.
—Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rather
Cite this Entry
“Rather.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rather. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rather
adverb
rath·er
ˈrat͟h-ər 
ˈrät͟h-,
ˈrət͟h-
1
: more willingly
would rather stay home
2
: more exactly : more properly
my father, or, rather, my stepfather
3
: instead
was no better but rather grew worse
4
: somewhat entry 2
rather cold today
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