rather : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: rather	by the DICT Development Group
3 results for rather
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
rather adv on the contrary; "rather than disappoint the children, he did two quick tricks before he left"; "he didn't call; rather (or instead), he wrote her a letter"; "used English terms instead of Latin ones" Synonym(s): rather, instead to some (great or small) extent; "it was rather cold"; "the party was rather nice"; "the knife is rather dull"; "I rather regret that I cannot attend"; "He's rather good at playing the cello"; "he is kind of shy" Synonym(s): rather, kind of, kinda, sort of more readily or willingly; "clean it well, preferably with warm water"; "I'd rather be in Philadelphia"; "I'd sooner die than give up" Synonym(s): preferably, sooner, rather to a degree (not used with a negative); "quite tasty"; "quite soon"; "quite ill"; "quite rich" Synonym(s): quite, rather
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Rather \Rath"er\, a. [Compar. of {Rath}, a.] Prior; earlier; former. [Obs.] Now no man dwelleth at the rather town. --Sir J. Mandeville.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Rather \Rath"er\, adv. [AS. hra[eb]or, compar. of hra[eb]e, hr[91][eb]e, quickly, immediately. See {Rath}, a.] 1. Earlier; sooner; before. [Obs.] Thou shalt, quod he, be rather false than I. --Chaucer. A good mean to come the rather to grace. --Foxe. 2. More readily or willingly; preferably. My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life. --Job vii. 15. 3. On the other hand; to the contrary of what was said or suggested; instead. Was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. --Mark v. 26. 4. Of two alternatives conceived of, 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. 5. More properly; more correctly speaking. This is an art Which does mend nature, change it rather, but The art itself is nature. --Shak. 6. 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, [or] would, rather go than stay. [bd]I had rather speak five words with my understanding than ten thousands words in an unknown tongue.[b8] --1 Cor. xiv. 19. See {Had rather}, under {Had}.