rather
pronunciation
How to pronounce rather in British English:
UK [ˈrɑːðə(r) , ˌrɑːˈðɜː(r)]
How to pronounce rather in American English:
US [ˈræðər]
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- Adverb:
- on the contrary
- to some (great or small) extent
- more readily or willingly
- to a degree (not used with a negative)
Word Origin
- rather
- rather: [OE] Rather originated as the comparative form of the now obsolete adjective rathe ‘quick’, and so to begin with meant ‘more quickly’, hence ‘earlier, sooner’. Its most frequent modern meaning, ‘more willingly’, emerged as recently as the 16th century. Rathe itself went back to a prehistoric Germanic *khrathaz, which may have been derived from the same base as produced English rash ‘impetuous’.=> rash
- rather (adv.)
- Old English hraþor "more quickly, earlier, sooner," also "more readily," comparative of hraþe, hræþe "quickly, hastily, promptly, readily, immediately," which is related to hræð "quick, nimble, prompt, ready," from Proto-Germanic *khratha- (cognates: Old Norse hraðr, Old High German hrad), from PIE *kret- "to shake." The base form rathe was obsolete by 18c. except in poetry (Tennyson); superlative rathest fell from use by 17c. Meaning "more willingly" is recorded from c. 1300; sense of "more truly" is attested from late 14c. The rather lambes bene starved with cold [Spenser, "The Shepheardes Calender" (Februarie), 1579]
Example
- 1. His background does sound rather princely .
- 2. Swedish journalists are also rather respectable .
- 3. Their quality is thus rather uneven .
- 4. Potential creditors find them rather comforting .
- 5. This quaintity depends on mechanical rather than electrical losses .