The Collaborative International Dictionary
Rather \Rath"er\ (r[a^][th]"[~e]r; 277), adv. [AS. hra[eth]or, compar. of hra[eth]e, hr[ae][eth]e, quickly, immediately. See Rath, a.]
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Earlier; sooner; before. [Obs.]
Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I.
--Chaucer.A good mean to come the rather to grace.
--Foxe. -
More readily or willingly; preferably.
My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life.
--Job vii. 15. -
On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or suggested; instead.
Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.
--Mark v. 26. -
Of two alternatives conceived of, this by preference to, or as more likely than, the other; somewhat.
He sought throughout the world, but sought in vain, And nowhere finding, rather feared her slain.
--Dryden. -
More properly; more correctly speaking.
This is an art Which does mend nature, change it rather, but The art itself is nature.
--Shak. -
In some degree; somewhat; as, the day is rather warm; the house is rather damp.
The rather, the more so; especially; for better reason; for particular cause.
You are come to me in happy time, The rather for I have some sport in hand.
--Shak.Had rather, or Would rather, prefer to; prefers to; as, he had rather, or would rather go than stay. ``I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.''
--1 Cor. xiv. 19. See Had rather, under Had.
Usage examples of "would rather".
For all the world stops at Freiburg to hear and enjoy the great organ,--all except the self-satisfied English clergyman, who says he does n't care much for it, and would rather go about town and see the old walls.
As in all gymnasia, women are not allowed, one of the many things which aggravate Makri about Turai, although she does claim that given the choice she would rather not see the naked bodies of Turai's rich and flabby upper classes.
I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink.
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.
Some would rather have an illiterate from the Black Ring manage a division.
In all these passages it would rather appear that Christ endured death by the constraint of obedience, than by the inclination of his own free will.
For did they but carefully consider how fitly in this way human redemption is secured, they would not ridicule our simplicity, but would rather join with us in praising the wise beneficence of God.
He was ashamed of trying to better his case by an appeal to her pity, and annoyed with himself for alluding to a subject he would rather have kept out of his thoughts.
We would rather give up the idea of prosecuting this journey than not return.
But he who dodges hospitals and jails, and walks fast crossing graveyards, and would rather talk of operas than hell.
On the contrary, I believe, if the number of those who recover by physic could be opposed to that of the martyrs to it, the former would rather exceed the latter.
Most of them would rather hit the beaches of Nippon itself than stay here in Army territory.
I would rather be torn to shreds than be a part of so base an action.