Wiktionary

rather

See also: Rather and raþer

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English rather, from Old English hraþor, comparative of hraþe (“soon, early, fast”). More at rathe. Cognate with Dutch radder (“faster”), comparative of Dutch rad (“fast; quick”), German Low German radd, ratt (“rashly; quickly; hastily”), German gerade (“even; straight; direct”). By surface analysis, rathe +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

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Adverb

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rather (not comparable)

  1. Used to specify a choice or preference; preferably, in preference to. (Now usually followed by than) [from 9th c.]
    Synonyms: (archaic) sooner, liefer
    I'd rather have stayed in all day than go to the movies again.
    I would like this one rather than the other one.
    I had much rather not be with you right now.
    • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page vii:
      Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants.
    • 2004, Erlend Øye, Eirik Glambek Bøe (lyrics and music), “I'd Rather Dance with You”, performed by Kings of Convenience:
      I'd rather dance with you than talk with you / So why don't we just move into the other room
  3. (conjunctive) Used to introduce a contradiction; on the contrary. [from 14th c.]
    It wasn't supposed to be popular; rather, it was supposed to get the job done.
    She didn't go along, but rather went home instead.
  4. (conjunctive) Introducing a qualification or clarification; more precisely. (Now usually preceded by or.) [from 15th c.]
    • 1897 October 16, Henry James, chapter IX, in What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC, page 94:
      What the pupil already knew was indeed rather taken for granted than expressed, but it performed the useful function of transcending all textbooks, and supplanting all studies.
    • 1898, J. A. Hamilton, "Stanley, Edward George Geoffrey Smith", in Sidney Lee (Ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, Volume LIV: Stanhope–Stovin, The MacMillan Company, page 60,
      His ‘Iliad’ is spirited and polished, and, though often rather a paraphrase than a translation, is always more truly poetic than most of the best translations.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, pages 198–199:
      All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. […] Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connection—or rather as a transition from the subject that had started their conversation—such talk had been distressingly out of place.
    I didn't want to leave. Or rather I did, just not alone.
  5. (degree) Somewhat, quite; to an unexpected degree. [from 16th c.]
    Synonyms: somewhat, fairly, actually, unexpectedly
    Antonym: utterly
    This melon is rather tasteless, especially compared to the one we had last time.
    We had some rather bad news today.
    We’ll be seeing rather a lot of you over the next few days.
  6. (obsolete) More quickly. [9th–19th c.]
    Synonyms: sooner, earlier
    • 1683, John Dryden, transl., Plutarch's Lives: Life of Pompey, translation of original by Plutarch:
      Pompey, being elated and filled with confidence by this victory, made all haste to engage Sertorius himself, and the rather lest Metellus should come in for a share in the honour of the victory.

Usage notes

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  • (somewhat): This is a non-descriptive qualifier, similar to quite and fairly and somewhat. It is used where a plain adjective needs to be modified, but cannot be qualified. When spoken, the meaning can vary with the tone of voice and stress. “He was rather big” can mean anything from “not small” to “huge” (meiosis with the stress on rather).
  • (preference): When expressing preference, the expression is usually would rather or had rather, usually contracted to 'd rather, but will rather and should rather also exist. In fact, use without any modal verb also exists in nonstandard and dialectal usage, in which rather is used as a verb (he rathers/rathered), see below.

Derived terms

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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
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Adjective

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rather (not comparable)

  1. (obsolete) Prior; earlier; former.
    • 1900, John Mandeville, The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (version in modern spelling)
      Now no man dwelleth at the rather town of Damietta.

Interjection

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rather

  1. (England, dated) An enthusiastic affirmation.
    Would you like some? –Rather!
    • 1919, P. G. Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves‎[1]:
      "Do you mean to say, young man," she said frostily, "that you expect me to drink this stuff?" ¶ "Rather! Bucks you up, you know."
    • 1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:
      "Farewell, Daughter of Eve," said he. "Perhaps I may keep the handkerchief?"
      "Rather!" said Lucy, and then ran towards the far-off patch of daylight as quickly as her legs would carry her.
    • 1967, Peter Pook, Banker Pook Confesses‎[2]:
      "Some of us stupid old die-hards believe that there is yet room for pride in one's work, Pook," Mr Pants said with dangerous emphasis. "Oh, rather, sir. I'd much sooner walk to London Town than ride in one of those motorcars we've heard tell of, sir."

Noun

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rather (plural rathers)

  1. (informal, dated, uncommon) A choice or a preference.
    • 1973, Chester B. Himes, Black on Black, Baby Sister and Selected Writings, page 46:
      If I had my rathers I'd make up my own band. Art Blakey on the skins, Charlie Mingus on the bass, John Coltrane on the sax, Harry Edison on the horn-
    • 2000, Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow, A Novel, page 280:
      I would rather do it by myself. I would rather, if I had my rathers, not be seen doing it.

Verb

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rather (third-person singular simple present rathers, present participle rathering, simple past and past participle rathered)

  1. (nonstandard or dialectal) To prefer; to prefer to.
    • 1984, Bruce Brooks, The Moves Make the Man:
      Until just before the pie was popped into the heat. A few of them suddenly realized who put that gorgeous hunk of crackers together, and gaped. We grinned back, but very cool. The ones who knew said nothing, rathering to die than let on they had been hustled by two negative dudes.
    • 2002, Sarah Waters, chapter 2, in Fingersmith, London: Virago, →ISBN, part 1, page 38:
      It was a plain brown dress, more or less the colour of my hair; and the walls of our kitchen being also brown, when I came downstairs again I could hardly be seen. I should have rathered a blue gown, or a violet one; […]
    • 2002, Elizabeth Bowen, The Heat of the Day:
      So you must excuse my saying anything I did: all it was, that up to the very last I had understood us all to be friendly — apart, that is, from his rathering me not there. How was I to know he would flash out so wicked?
    • 2007, Mikel Schaefer, Lost in Katrina, page 323:
      "That was a killer," said Chris. "I'd rathered die in St. Bernard than spent one minute over there. I would have rathered the storm, shaking with the wind and rain hitting in the boat for an eternity than spending any time there.

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Adverb

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rather

  1. Alternative form of rathere (“more quickly”)

Adjective

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rather

  1. Alternative form of rathere (“quicker”)
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