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.
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.
Meanings
(not-comparable) Used to specify a choice or preference; preferably, in preference to. (Now usually followed by than)
I'd rather not have spent all the money, but it really was an emergency.
Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants. 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:
I s'pose we'd better clean the kitchen, but we had much rather not do anything right now.
I'd rather dance with you than talk with you / So why don't we just move into the other room 2004, Erlend Øye, Eirik Glambek Bøe, “I'd Rather Dance with You”, performed by Kings of Convenience:
They'd rather've spent the money on a holiday.
I would like this one rather than the other one.
Tomorrow's impossible. We'd rather you came next weekend.
(conjunctive, not-comparable) Used to introduce a contradiction; on the contrary.
Are the characteristics that are ascribed to lingua franca communication general lingua franca features? Or are they rather properties of the lingua franca that is presently most frequently used in this function – English? 2022, Sabine Fiedler, Cyril Robert Brosch, “The aim of this book” (chapter 4), in Esperanto – Lingua Franca and Language Community, John Benjamins Publishing Company, →DOI, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OL, page 19:
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.
(conjunctive, not-comparable) Introducing a qualification or clarification; more precisely. (Now usually preceded by or.)
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.
I didn't want to leave. Or rather I did, just not alone.
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. 1897 October 16, Henry James, chapter IX, in What Maisie Knew, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Herbert S. Stone & Co., →OCLC, page 94:
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. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, pages 198–199:
(not-comparable, qualifier:degree) Somewhat, quite; to an unexpected degree.
We had some rather worse news today.
Translated from the original Latin, it reads, “Ivan the third; does it with birds.” Rather juvenile, don’t you think? 2005, Annabelle du Fouet, “The murky world from whence it all came” (chapter 2), in Weather Balloons Make Rotten Sex Toys, Ellora's Cave, →ISBN, page 45:
We’ll be seeing rather a lot of you over the next few days.
It's been rather/quite a good meal overall, but this melon is rather too tasteless.
(not-comparable, obsolete) More quickly.
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. 1683, John Dryden, transl., Plutarch's Lives: Life of Pompey, translation of original by Plutarch:
uk кра́ще (preferably) · nl tamelijk (somewhat, fairly) · de sondern (on the contrary) · hu illetve (more precisely) · hu azaz (more precisely) · fi vaan (on the contrary) · et pigem (preferably) · es más bien (more precisely) · pl dosyć (somewhat, fairly) · pl raczej (more precisely) · fr au contraire (on the contrary) · it piuttosto (somewhat, fairly) · ru напро́тив (on the contrary) · ru доста́точно (somewhat, fairly) · pt mais (more precisely) · es más bien (preferably) · ang lēofre (preferably) · de um genau zu sein (more precisely) · pl raczej (preferably) · pt ao contrário (on the contrary) · nl liever (preferably) · pt preferivelmente (preferably) · nn temmeleg (somewhat, fairly) · fo rættiliga (somewhat, fairly) · fr plutôt (somewhat, fairly) · ca bastant (somewhat, fairly) · hu inkább (preferably) · la potius (preferably) · de recht (somewhat, fairly) · pl raczej (on the contrary) · th ค่อนข้าง (somewhat, fairly) · ja かなり (somewhat, fairly) · nn ganske (somewhat, fairly) · sv ganska (somewhat, fairly) · nl best wel (somewhat, fairly) · scn scanciu (preferably) · be до́сыць (somewhat, fairly) · de im Gegenteil (on the contrary) · ca més aviat (somewhat, fairly) · bg доста (somewhat, fairly) · nb fortrinnsvis (preferably) · sv helst (preferably) · it piuttosto (preferably) · fi melko (somewhat, fairly) · pt aliás (on the contrary) · de lieber (preferably) · da noget (somewhat, fairly) · bg донякъде (somewhat, fairly) · it preferibilmente (preferably) · pt antes (preferably) · tr bilakis (on the contrary) · uk ра́дше (preferably) · lv diezgan (somewhat, fairly) · cmn 寧願 /宁愿 (preferably) · da tværtimod (on the contrary) · nv tʼáá yédígo (somewhat, fairly) · da hellere (preferably) · tr bayağı (somewhat, fairly) · nn heller (preferably) · ml മറിച്ച് (on the contrary) · nb temmelig (somewhat, fairly) · grc μᾶλλον (preferably) · hu helyesebben (more precisely) · nl redelijk (somewhat, fairly) · fi pikemminkin (on the contrary) · sh tačnije (more precisely) · nb snarere (more precisely) · ja 寧ろ (on the contrary) · pt ou seja (more precisely) · cs spíš (preferably) · ca força (somewhat, fairly) · sh radije (preferably) · hu elég (somewhat, fairly) · pt bastante (somewhat, fairly) · bg по-скоро (on the contrary) · is fremur (preferably) · hu azazhogy (more precisely) · pt de preferência (preferably) · ja 寧ろ (preferably) · hu ellenkezőleg (on the contrary) · uk шви́дше (preferably) · de eher (preferably) · nl nogal (somewhat, fairly) · fi aika (somewhat, fairly) · hu szívesebben (preferably) · de eher (somewhat, fairly) · el μάλλον (somewhat, fairly) · ko 오히려 (on the contrary) · nb heller (preferably) · ka უფრო სწორად (more precisely) · ro mai degrabă (preferably) · fi tarkemmin sanottuna (more precisely) · ru верне́е (more precisely) · hu jobban mondva (more precisely) · pt bem (somewhat, fairly) · pt um tanto (somewhat, fairly) · tr daha ziyade (preferably) · cy yn hytrach (preferably) · et ennem (preferably) · de eher (more precisely) · uk скорі́ше (on the contrary) · nl daarentegen (on the contrary) · es más bien (on the contrary) · uk скорі́ше (preferably) · bg по-точно (more precisely) · cmn 反倒 (on the contrary) · bg по-скоро (more precisely) · hu meglehetősen (somewhat, fairly) · ja 一層 (preferably) · sv rätt (somewhat, fairly) · uk навпаки́ (on the contrary) · ru скоре́е (preferably) · bg за предпочитане (preferably) · nb nokså (somewhat, fairly) · ar بِالْأَحْرَى (preferably) · uk доста́тньо (somewhat, fairly) · ru лу́чше (preferably) · sv snarare (on the contrary) · fo nokkso (somewhat, fairly) · be хутчэ́й (on the contrary) · hu vagyis (more precisely) · yi ליבערשט (preferably) · hu eléggé (somewhat, fairly) · cmn 比較 /比较 (preferably) · sv tämligen (somewhat, fairly) · af liewer (preferably) · it abbastanza (somewhat, fairly) · pt ou melhor (more precisely) · nn nokså (somewhat, fairly) · da snarere (more precisely) · be даво́лі (somewhat, fairly) · lv gluži (somewhat, fairly) · eo sufiĉe (somewhat, fairly) · vi khá (somewhat, fairly) · hu jobban (preferably) · pt meio (somewhat, fairly) · cy eithaf (somewhat, fairly) · cs spíše (preferably) · sv snarare (more precisely) · ca preferiblement (preferably) · uk до́сить (somewhat, fairly) · hu sőt (on the contrary) · de ziemlich (somewhat, fairly) · nb ganske (somewhat, fairly) · uk ра́дше (more precisely) · nb snarere (on the contrary) · be хутчэ́й (preferably) · oc puslèu (preferably) · ja むしろ (preferably) · ca més aviat (preferably) · grc θᾶσσον (preferably) · fr plutôt (preferably) · nb heller (more precisely) · scn bastanti (somewhat, fairly) · ru скоре́е (on the contrary) · sv hellre (preferably) · fi mieluummin (preferably) · pt melhor dizendo (more precisely) · nb tvert imot (on the contrary) · cmn 反而 (on the contrary) · nl vrij (somewhat, fairly) · fi pikemminkin (more precisely) · cmn 相當 /相当 (somewhat, fairly) · cmn 與其 /与其 (preferably) · ru дово́льно (somewhat, fairly) · cs raději (preferably) · rgn abastânza (somewhat, fairly) · sv snarare (preferably) · scn scanciu (on the contrary) · nb snarere (preferably) · pl dość (somewhat, fairly) · nn fortrinnsvis (preferably)
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.
Meanings
(England, dated) An enthusiastic affirmation.
"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." 1967, Peter Pook, Banker Pook Confesses:
"Do you mean to say, young man," she said frostily, "that you expect me to drink this stuff?" ¶ "Rather! Bucks you up, you know." 1919, P. G. Wodehouse, My Man Jeeves:
Would you like some? –Rather!
"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. 1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:
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.
Meanings
(dated, informal, uncommon) A choice or a preference.
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- 1973, Chester B. Himes, Black on Black, Baby Sister and Selected Writings, page 46:
I would rather do it by myself. I would rather, if I had my rathers, not be seen doing it. 2000, Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow, A Novel, page 280:
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.
Meanings
(dialectal, nonstandard) To prefer; to prefer to.
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? 2002, Elizabeth Bowen, The Heat of the Day:
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, Sarah Waters, chapter 2, in Fingersmith, London: Virago, →ISBN, part 1, page 38:
You'd rather us dead.
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. 1984, Bruce Brooks, The Moves Make the Man:
"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. 2007, Mikel Schaefer, Lost in Katrina, page 323: