Meaning & use
rather
Used to express a preference for one thing over another, or to mean 'to a certain extent'.
See it in a sentence
I would rather stay home tonight than go to the party.
The exam was rather more difficult than we had originally expected.
A note on using this word
Rather than expresses preference, while rather alone before an adjective softens or intensifies it, as in 'rather cold'.
Words with a similar meaning
insteadsomewhat
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Make it your own
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