How is rather used?

How is rather used?

The word rather, itself, is commonly used in English as an adverb to indicate preference, degree, or accuracy. I would rather not go. It's getting rather late. ... The key to telling whether rather than is a conjunction or preposition is to look at the words that precede and follow it.

What do rather than mean?

Definition of rather than (Entry 1 of 2) 1 —used with the infinitive form of a verb to indicate negation as a contrary choice or wish rather than continue the argument, he walked awaychose to sing rather than play violin.

What is the synonym of Rather?

In this page you can discover 58 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for rather, like: I should say, fairly, in preference, certainly, quite, a-little, by choice, preferably, as a matter of choice, alternatively and instead.

What is the example of rather?

The movie is a comedy, but rather a dull one. I think the children watch rather too much television. It rather annoyed me that he was late picking me up.

Why do Brits say rather?

Some international workers in the UK feel that they are not always given credit for their good work – possibly they have been told that their work is “quite good”! “Quite”, “somewhat”, “rather” are fundamentally English ways of avoiding giving confrontational opinions.

How do you use rather in a sentence?

Rather sentence example

1. No, if one of us has to get snowed in up here, I'd rather it was me. ...
2. Thanks, but I'd rather go alone. ...
3. I ignored her question rather than lie. ...
4. Maybe he'd rather listen than talk. ...
5. It's a subject I'd rather not discuss. ...
6. But if you'd rather take them off, go ahead.

Would rather than example?

Would rather is used to show preference for one thing over another, for example: I would rather eat fish tonight. ... You could also say I would prefer to eat fish tonight. The structure uses the verb in the infinitive without 'to'.

What is the difference between whether and rather?

You're right. "Rather" is an adverb, meaning with preference for one of two things, or more willingly. "Whether" is a conjunction with several meanings, but the two words are not synonyms. We might say, "I'd rather not have the seafood platter," meaning we'd prefer not to have it.

What is the opposite of Rather?

Opposite of used to indicate one's preference in a particular matter. involuntarily. unwillingly. hesitantly. cautiously.

Is rather a formal word?

We use rather to give emphasis to an adjective or adverb. It has a similar meaning to quite when quite is used with gradable words. It is more formal than quite.

How do you use rather in a sentence?

• Using rather as the first word in the sentence might tend to lead to shorter sentences; in this particular example, you could combine the two sentences into one. Depending on context, short sentences may make the writing clearer and closer to the spoken word, or seem excessively fragmented.

What is the definition of rather?

• Rather is defined as preferably or more accurately. An example of rather used as an adverb is wanting to live on the west coast rather than on the east coast.

Is rather an adverb?

• The most common usage of “rather” is as an adverb. It can modify an adjective, a verb, or another adverb. In most cases, it means to a reasonably large degree. However, it can also be used to imply that this size is an inconvenience or a bad thing.

Is rather an adjective?

• Rather is not an adjective; it is an adverb modifying an adjective (or participle) or a verb. As an adjective modifier it means 'particularly'; as a verb modifier it means 'preferably'.