How to Use rather in a Sentence

rather

adverb
  • The movie is a comedy, but rather a dull one.
  • It rather annoyed me that he was late picking me up.
  • I think the children watch rather too much television.
  • Well, it’s that time of the year — the end of the year, rather.
    Shelton Boyd-Griffith, Essence, 27 Dec. 2022
  • The celebs of the 2024 Met Gala walked the red, or rather, green and white carpet.
    Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY, 7 May 2024
  • Not the dingy kind of dim, rather the cozy kind that invites you to sit down and stay a while.
    Philip Freeman, Charlotte Observer, 24 Apr. 2024
  • Well, maybe not the box itself, but rather what was inside the box.
    Ainslie Lee | Alee@al.com, al, 15 Sep. 2023
  • Placed next to the competition, the Z Fold 5 is rather chunky.
    Ewan Spence, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
  • At first, the look and feel will be rather stiff and simplistic.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2022
  • And the tone for the game was set — or rather, wasn’t established at all — by the end of the opening frame.
    Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2023
  • The crop this year proves to be rather dazzling indeed.
    Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 24 Sep. 2022
  • Images came through of the two black holes—or, rather, of the ring of stuff falling into the black holes.
    Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024
  • Also rather unusual: a great view of much of the snow stripe.
    Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024
  • Mostly clear Friday night and rather mild with lows in the upper 50s to mid-60s.
    Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 31 May 2023
  • Ryan and Robert Saleh had their beef a few years ago but squashed it rather quickly.
    Ryan Morik, Fox News, 19 Nov. 2024
  • In fact, that's taking a rather narrow view of the city, says Curtis.
    Alex Schechter, Travel + Leisure, 29 Mar. 2023
  • If mom would rather stay in, plan an at-home spa day for the two of you, or snuggle up for a movie marathon on the couch.
    Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Oct. 2022
  • Hydration—or, rather, the lack of it—has been on my mind lately.
    Christina Pérez, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2023
  • From there, the recipes get arbitrary and rather random.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2023
  • But, like her lids, it's got a perfect touch of shimmer—or glaze, rather.
    Marci Robin, Allure, 26 Dec. 2024
  • There is more space in the room and the window is open—or rather half open, revealing the green of trees outside.
    Jenny Uglow, The New York Review of Books, 28 Sep. 2023
  • The best part of this recipe might not even be the use of pre-shredded spuds, but rather the onion component.
    Bonnie S. Benwick, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
  • Both teams match up rather well and both are playing to extend the season.
    Evan Dudley, al, 10 Nov. 2022
  • No, Dairy Queen is not from Texas, but rather started in 1940 in Illinois.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 11 Jan. 2025
  • Your own feelings could seem rather foreign to you at present.
    Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2022
  • Prescott would rather that absence not extend to six games.
    Chris Bumbaca, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2022
  • Modesty aside, some of these parties are rather nice with catered food and high-end wines.
    R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 14 Sep. 2024
  • Chowder would much rather play, go on walks and cuddle with his two-legged friends!
    The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 8 Nov. 2022
  • Britain, under the comparatively liberal Keir Starmer, has a rather more niche anxiety: that its citizens will leave and then return as insurgents.
    Damon Wise, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025
  • According to the investor, the issue with Twilio has never been revenue growth, but rather management’s prioritization of making a profit.
    Pia Singh, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rather.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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