rather

Created by Tung NGUYEN on 2016-02-08 10:00:16
Last modified on 2016-02-08 10:00:16

adverb

 UK   /ˈrɑː.ðər/  US   /ˈræð.ɚ/

  • rather adverb (SMALL AMOUNT)

B1 ​quite; to a ​slight ​degree:It's rather ​cold today, isn't it?That's rather a ​difficult ​book - here's an ​easier one for you.The ​train was rather too ​crowded for a ​comfortable ​journey.She ​answered the ​phone rather ​sleepily.I rather ​doubt I'll be ​able to come to ​your ​party.

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  • rather adverb (MORE EXACTLY)

B2 more ​accurately; more ​exactly:She'll ​fly to California on ​Thursday, or rather, she will if she has to.He's my sister's ​friend really, rather than mine.› used to ​express an ​opposite ​opinion:The ​ending of the ​war is not a ​cause for ​celebration, but rather for ​regret that it ​ever ​happened.No, I'm not ​tired. Rather the ​opposite in ​fact.

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  • rather adverb (PREFERENCE)

rather than

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B1 ​instead of; used ​especially when you ​prefer one thing to another:I ​think I'd like to ​stay at ​home this ​evening rather than go out.

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Grammar
RatherWe use rather as a degree adverb (rather cold, rather nice). We also use it to express alternatives and preferences (green rather than blue, coffee rather than tea, slowly rather than quickly). …
Rather as a degree adverbWe 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. We often use it to express something unexpected or surprising:…
Ratherthan: alternatives and preferencesWe use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared: …
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Idioms
rather you than me

ratheradverb, predeterminer

 UK   /ˈrɑː.ðər/  US   /ˈræð.ɚ/
› very; to a ​large ​degree:Actually, I did rather well in my ​exams.I've got rather a lot of ​work to do at the ​moment.

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Grammar
RatherWe use rather as a degree adverb (rather cold, rather nice). We also use it to express alternatives and preferences (green rather than blue, coffee rather than tea, slowly rather than quickly). …
Rather as a degree adverbWe 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. We often use it to express something unexpected or surprising:…
Ratherthan: alternatives and preferencesWe use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared: …
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ratherexclamation

 UK   /ˌrɑːˈðɜːr/  US   /ˌræðˈɝː/ UK old-fashioned
› ​certainly; yes:"Do you ​want to come out for ​dinner with us this ​evening?" "Rather!"
Grammar
RatherWe use rather as a degree adverb (rather cold, rather nice). We also use it to express alternatives and preferences (green rather than blue, coffee rather than tea, slowly rather than quickly). …
Rather as a degree adverbWe 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. We often use it to express something unexpected or surprising:…
Ratherthan: alternatives and preferencesWe use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared: …
More...
(Definition of rather from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
Category: Vocabulary
Tags: 10
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