rather

noun

A surname.

(informal, dated, uncommon) A choice or a preference.

verb

(nonstandard or dialectal) To prefer; to prefer to.

adjective

(obsolete) Prior; earlier; former.

adverb

Used to specify a choice or preference; preferably, in preference to. (Now usually followed by than)

(degree) Somewhat, quite; to an unexpected degree.

(conjunctive) Used to introduce a contradiction; on the contrary.

(conjunctive) Introducing a qualification or clarification; more precisely. (Now usually preceded by or.)

(obsolete) More quickly.

Synonyms for rather

insteadadv quiteadv preferablyadv sooneradv somewhatadv fairlyadv slightlyadv albeit moderatelyadv otherwiseadv butadv thoughadv alternativelyadv although veryadv

Synonyms & related words for rather

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of rather — including instead, quite, preferably, sooner, somewhat, fairly. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to rather

Explore words related to rather — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include kinda, than, less, so, actually, simply, perhaps, merely. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for rather

Common synonyms for rather include instead, quite, preferably, sooner, somewhat, fairly, slightly, albeit — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.