Rather Definition
răthər, räthər
adverb
More quickly; sooner.
Webster's New World
More willingly; preferably.
Would you rather have tea?
Webster's New World
More accurately; more precisely.
His sister, or rather, stepsister.
Webster's New World
With more justice, logic, reason, etc.
One might rather say.
Webster's New World
On the contrary; quite conversely.
Not a help, rather a hindrance.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
interjection
Yes; certainly.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
- and how! you're telling me
- no doubt about it
- most assuredly
- by-all-means
- of-course
- certainly
- I should say
verb
(nonstandard or dialectal) To prefer; to prefer to.
Wiktionary
adjective
(obsolete) Prior; earlier; former.
Wiktionary
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Rather
- had rather
- rather than
- would rather
Origin of Rather
-
From Middle English rather, rether, from Old English hraþor (“sooner, earlier, more quickly"), comparative of hraþe (“hastily, quickly, promptly, readily, immediately, soon, at once, directly"), equivalent to rathe +"Ž -er. More at rathe.
From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old English hrathor comparative of hræthe quickly, soon from hræth quick
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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