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Rather

We 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 adverb​

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. We often use it to express something unexpected or surprising:

  • A: You’re not just wasting your time here, are you?
  • B: No, I’m rather busy, in fact.
  • They walked rather slowly.
  • I’m afraid I behaved rather badly.
See also
  • Quite

Rather with adjective + noun​

With a/an we usually use rather a/an + adjective + noun, but we can also use a rather + adjective + noun. With other determiners (some, those) we use determiner + rather + adjective + noun:

  • We had to wait rather a long time. (or, less common, We had to wait a rather long time.)
  • He helped her out of rather an uncomfortable situation. (or He helped her out of a rather uncomfortable situation.)
  • I had some rather bad news today.
  • Not: I had rather some bad news today.

Rather a + noun​

Rather a with a noun is more common in formal language than in informal language, particularly in writing:

  • It was rather a surprise to find them in the house before me.

Rather a lot​

We often use rather with a lot to refer to large amounts and quantities:

  • It cost me rather a lot of money.
  • You’ve given me rather a lot.

We also use rather a lot to mean ‘often’:

  • They went there rather a lot.
  • You’ll be seeing rather a lot of me over the next few weeks.

Rather + verb​

We can use rather to emphasise verbs. We use it most commonly with verbs such as enjoy, hope, like:

  • I was rather hoping you’d forgotten about that.
  • He rather liked the idea of a well-paid job in Japan.

Rather: comparison​

We use rather with more and less + an adjective or adverb in formal writing to make a comparison with something:

  • Quite probably you simply didn’t realise that peas and beans and sweet-corn are such valuable vegetables, and you will now continue to eat them rather more frequently because you like them anyway.
  • Now that she saw Rupert again, he was rather less interesting and a little older than she had remembered him.

Rather like​

We use rather with like to refer to similarities. We use rather like to mean ‘quite similar to’:

  • They were small animals, rather like rats.
  • I was in the middle. I felt rather like a referee at a football match trying to be fair and keep the sides apart.
See also
  • Quite
  • Comparison: adjectives (bigger, biggest, more interesting)

Rather than: alternatives and preferences​

We use rather than to give more importance to one thing when two alternatives or preferences are being compared:

  • He wanted to be an actor rather than a comedian.
  • Can we come over on Saturday rather than Friday?

Rather than usually occurs between two things which are being compared. However, we can also use it at the beginning of a sentence. When we use rather than with a verb, we use the base form or (less commonly) the -ing form of a verb:

  • Rather than pay the taxi fare, he walked home. (or Rather than paying the taxi fare, he walked home.)
  • Not: Rather than to pay …
See also
  • Would rather

Or rather​

We use or rather to correct ourselves:

  • He commanded and I obeyed, or rather, I pretended to.
  • Thanks to his efforts, or rather the efforts of his employees, they made a decent profit.