rather

Prior; earlier; former.

Adjective

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

Origin

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.

Forms

raither

Adverb

  1. 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.
    • I would like this one rather than the other one.
    • I s'pose we'd better clean the kitchen, but we had much rather not do anything right now.

    Synonyms: sooner liefer

  2. Used to introduce a contradiction; on the contrary.
    • 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.
    • 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 –...
  3. Introducing a qualification or clarification; more precisely. (Now usually preceded by or.)
    • 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...
    • 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,...
    • 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...
  4. Somewhat, quite; to an unexpected degree.
    • It's been rather/quite a good meal overall, but this melon is rather too tasteless.
    • We had some rather worse news today.
    • We’ll be seeing rather a lot of you over the next few days.

    Synonyms: somewhat fairly actually unexpectedly

    Antonyms: utterly

  5. 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:

    1. 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:

  6. 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,...

    Synonyms: sooner earlier

Forms

raither

Derived

druthers I would rather die ratherish rather than sooner rather than later

Interjection

  1. An enthusiastic affirmation.
    • Would you like some? –Rather!
    • "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:
    • "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,...

Forms

raither

Noun

  1. 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...
    • 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:

Forms

rathers raither

Verb

  1. To prefer; to prefer to.
    • You'd rather us be 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...
    • 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;...

Forms

rathers rathering rathered raither