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Rather than thinking, 'If I do this, and in five years I'll be where I want to be,' you're better just doing something that makes you happy now.
Billy Boyd

Meaning of "rather" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD RATHER

Old English hrathor comparative of hræthready, quick; related to Old Norse hrathr.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF RATHER

rather  [ˈrɑːðə] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF RATHER

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Rather is an adverb.
The adverb is an invariable part of the sentence that can change, explain or simplify a verb or another adverb.

WHAT DOES RATHER MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Rather

Rather may refer to: ▪ Dan Rather, news presenter ▪ Elizabeth Rather, expert in the computer programming language Forth ▪ Susan Rather, character in 555...

Definition of rather in the English dictionary

The first definition of rather in the dictionary is relatively or fairly; somewhat. Other definition of rather is to a significant or noticeable extent; quite. Rather is also to a limited extent or degree.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH RATHER


Bairnsfather
ˈbɛənzˌfɑːðə
farther
ˈfɑːðə
father
ˈfɑːðə
forefather
ˈfɔːˌfɑːðə
godfather
ˈɡɒdˌfɑːðə
grandfather
ˈɡrænˌfɑːðə
great-grandfather
ˌɡreɪtˈɡrændfɑːðə
great-great-grandfather
ˌɡreɪtˌɡreɪtˈɡrændˌfɑːðə
housefather
ˈhaʊsˌfɑːðə
how´s-your-father
ˈhaʊzjəˈfɑːðə
lather
ˈlɑːðə
Mithgarthr
ˈmɪðˌɡɑːðə
stepfather
ˈstɛpˌfɑːðə

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE RATHER

ratemeter
ratepayer
rater
rates
ratfink
ratfish
rath
ratha
rathe
Rathenau
ratherest
ratherish
rathest
rathole
rathouse
rathripe
rathskeller
raticide
ratifiable
ratification

WORDS THAT END LIKE RATHER

all-weather
birds of a feather
breather
Fairweather
feather
foster father
gather
heather
Heavenly Father
Holy Father
leather
other
Our Father
patent leather
peacock feather
September weather
simulated leather
sunbather
tail feather
weather
white leather

Synonyms and antonyms of rather in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

SYNONYMS OF «RATHER»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «rather» and belong to the same grammatical category.
synonyms of rather

Translation of «rather» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF RATHER

Find out the translation of rather to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of rather from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «rather» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

倒是
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

algo
570 millions of speakers

English

rather
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

बल्कि
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

بَلْ
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

скорее
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

um tanto
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

বরং
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

plutôt
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Sebaliknya
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

ziemlich
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

かなり
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

상당히
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Rodo
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

khá
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

மாறாக
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

त्याऐवजी
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

daha doğrusu
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

piuttosto
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

raczej
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

дещо
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

prea
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

μάλλον
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

eerder
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

hellre
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

heller
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of rather

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «RATHER»

The term «rather» is very widely used and occupies the 2.363 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
98
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «rather» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of rather
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «rather».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «RATHER» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «rather» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «rather» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about rather

EXAMPLES

10 QUOTES WITH «RATHER»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word rather.
1
Randa Abdel-Fattah
Religious celebrations, and the good will, high spirits and generosity that mark them, are wonderful occasions for understanding the potential of 'everyday multiculturalism', and how people from diverse faiths can connect and show they care, rather than go down parallel, sometimes hostile, roads.
2
Karen Armstrong
Religions have always stressed that compassion is not only central to religious life, it is the key to enlightenment and it the true test of spirituality. But there have always have been those who'd rather put easier goals, like doctrine conformity, in place.
3
Jean M. Auel
Science Fiction is not just about the future of space ships travelling to other planets, it is fiction based on science and I am using science as my basis for my fiction, but it's the science of prehistory - palaeontology and archaeology - rather than astronomy or physics.
4
Nate Berkus
I knew that I was a gay boy fairly early; what was interesting to me was that my mother didn't know. She made me play baseball - I had no desire to do that. I said, 'Mom, I don't like direct sunlight, I don't like bugs, I don't like grass, and I'd rather be in the house playing with your fabric samples.'
5
Dave Blood
In my mind, it is certainly much nicer to end on a high note rather than on a Stout Pig.
6
Billy Boyd
Rather than thinking, 'If I do this, and in five years I'll be where I want to be,' you're better just doing something that makes you happy now.
7
Christie Brinkley
I think many people can relate to that excruciating pain of love gone wrong. I'd rather have a broken arm than a broken heart.
8
Patrick Carney
I'd literally rather hang out at the T.G.I. Friday's in New Jersey than tool around at a place that sells $40 cheeseburgers.
9
Chris Chocola
I believe the only measure of government response shouldn't be how much we spend on a situation, but rather how well we spend.
10
Anthony J. D'Angelo
Reality doesn't bite, rather our perception of reality bites.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «RATHER»

Discover the use of rather in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to rather and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Would You Rather...
Here is a surefire giggle-getter for storytime, perfect for sharing with any child who's ever wanted to do something completely out of the ordinary.
John Burningham, 2003
2
Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News
The book will also include Dan's thoughts on the state of journalism today and what he sees for its future, as well as never-before-revealed personal observations and commentary.
Dan Rather, 2012
3
Would You Rather...: Over 200 Absolutely Absurd Dilemmas to ...
Readers are stumped with questions like: ? Would you rather watch a porn movie with your parents?or watch a porn movie starring your parents?? Would you rather fight Mike Tyson?or talk like him?
David Gomberg, Justin Heimberg, 1997
4
A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than ...
Provocative, challenging, and delightfully readable, this is a game-changing look at the most basic underpinning of existence and a powerful antidote to outmoded philosophical, religious, and scientific thinking.
Lawrence M. Krauss, 2012
5
Would You Rather...?: Illustrated
Would you rather fight Mike Tyson or talk like him? Would you rather be a Siamese twin connected at the soles of your feet or at the lips? These are just two of the burning questions asked in this new entry in the best-selling series.
Justin Heimberg, David Gomberg, 2007
6
Would You Rather ... ?: The Outrageous Book of Bizarre Choices
Some questions, like a Rorschach test, reveal values: Would you rather . . . Age only from the neck up-OR-age only from the neck down? Be stupid and rich-OR-smart and poor?
Randy Horn, 2001
7
Rather Dumb: A Top Tabloid Reporter Tells CBS How to Do News
Using Rather as a touchstone, Mike Walker rips into the arrogance and presumption of the news media-the elitist, agenda-driven mentality that allows its journalists and editors to ignore basic rules of journalism.
Mike Walker, 2005
8
The Big Book: Over 1,500 Absolutely Absurd Dilemmas to Ponder
In this hilariously hefty addition to the series, the authors have created more than 1,500 all-new, never-before-published questions that will have regular readers and newcomers alike laughing out loud as they ponder the often outrageous, ...
Justin Heimberg, David Gomberg, 2010
9
Would You Rather... ? for Women: Over 300 Formidably ...
Women are challenged with such questions as: "Would you rather... know what men are really thinking but not saying or what cats are really thinking but not saying?
Diane Bullock, M. Schuster, Justin Heimberg, 2009
10
I'd Rather Teach Peace
" Thus began the work he has passionately pursued for the past twenty-five years????????????????????????teaching courses on nonviolence, conflict management, and peace studies, to students in a range of schools, from Georgetown University ...
Colman McCarthy, 2008

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «RATHER»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term rather is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Dan Rather On Donald Trump: 'A Force To Be Reckoned With'
Access Hollywood's Billy Bush spoke with Rather, who has been covering presidential politics since Eisenhower and anchored the "CBS Evening News" for 24 ... «Access Hollywood, Jul 15»
2
Remember 'Memogate'? Makers of a Dan Rather Film Don't
That's the headline for yesterday's Page Six, because there's a new movie coming out about Dan Rather's precipitous departure from the network 10 years ago. «Bloomberg View, Jul 15»
3
Former CBS News Anchor Dan Rather Explains Modern Internet Slang
BuzzFeed had former CBS News anchor Dan Rather sit down to talk about the latest in Internet language: terms like "on fleek," "bae," and of course "dad bod.". «Huffington Post, May 15»
4
I would rather shine shoes than be a banker
Last Thursday, for the first time in my life, I had my shoes shined. I sat on a stool outside St Mary-le-Bow on Cheapside and a man crouched at my feet and got ... «Financial Times, May 15»
5
I'd rather be skint in London than rich in Hull
London used to be a city of classes. The working classes, spread across the East End, the sprawling south, and the not-so-nice bits of the north; the middle and ... «Telegraph.co.uk, May 15»
6
Cannes: Sony Pictures Classics Acquiring Dan Rather Scandal …
Sony Pictures Classics is taking North American rights to Truth, the Dan Rather scandal movie that stars Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett. Sources peg the ... «Hollywood Reporter, May 15»
7
'I'd rather die at sea than stay there': migrants on crossing the Med
After a terrifying journey across the Mediterranean, thousands of migrants arrive in Sicily every week. These are their stories. Portraits by Gideon Mendel. «The Guardian, May 15»
8
Florida Georgia Line Help Dan Rather Define Bro Country, Rap Vs …
Dan Rather is never afraid to ask the tough questions. During a recent interview with Florida Georgia Line, the stalwart journalist quizzed the group about the ... «Radio.com Music and Entertainment News, May 15»
9
Man Who Would Rather Go Blind Than Get Obamacare Now Going …
Who should save the sight of an uninsured South Carolina man who can't afford eye surgery? That's the question the Charlotte Observer asks in a story about a ... «Gawker, May 15»
10
Dan Rather on Brian Williams Controversy: 'How Big Is It?'
Disgraced former CBS Evening News anchor Dan Rather appeared on ... RATHER: Well, first of all, Brian is a friend of mine and has been for a long while. «NewsBusters, Apr 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Rather [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/rather>. Apr 2024 ».
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