rather
- adv.相当地;(常用于表示轻微的批评、失望或惊讶)相当，在某种程度上;(与动词连用以减弱语气)有点儿，稍微;(纠正所说的话或提供更确切的信息)更确切地讲，更准确地说;相反，反而，而是
- int.表示同意某人的提议
ratheradv.
（常用于表示轻微的批评、失望或惊讶）相当，在某种程度上
used to mean ‘fairly’ or ‘to some degree’, often when you are expressing slight criticism, disappointment or surprise
The instructions were rather complicated.
这些说明相当复杂。
She fell and hurt her leg rather badly.
她跌倒了，腿伤得相当重。
I didn't fail the exam; in fact I did rather well!
我没有考不及格，事实上，我考得不错！
It was a rather difficult question.
这是个相当难的问题。
It was rather a difficult question.
这真是个难题。
He looks rather like his father.
他看上去很像他的父亲。
The patient has responded to the treatment rather better than expected.
病人对治疗的反应比预想的好得多。
He was conscious that he was talking rather too much.
他意识到他说得实在太多了。
（与动词连用以减弱语气）有点儿，稍微
used with a verb to make a statement sound less strong
I rather suspect we're making a mistake.
我有点儿怀疑我们正在犯错误。
We were rather hoping you'd be able to do it by Friday.
我们希望你最好能在星期五之前做这件事。
（纠正所说的话或提供更确切的信息）更确切地讲，更准确地说
used to correct sth you have said, or to give more accurate information
She worked as a secretary, or rather, a personal assistant.
她当了秘书；确切地讲，是私人助理。
In the end he had to walk─or rather run─to the office.
最后他不得不走着——应该说是跑着——去办公室。
（提出不同或相反的观点）相反，反而，而是
used to introduce an idea that is different or opposite to the idea that you have stated previously
The walls were not white, but rather a sort of dirty grey.
墙面不是白的，而是灰不溜秋的。
used for saying that you would not like to do sth that another person is going to do
“我明天去爬山。”“你去吧，我可不去！”
‘I'm going climbing tomorrow.’ ‘Rather you than me!’
instead of sb/sth
我想要冷饮，不要咖啡。
I think I'll have a cold drink rather than coffee.
Why didn't you ask for help, rather than trying to do it on your own?
你干吗非得自己干，而不请人帮忙？
would prefer to
她宁愿死也不愿意演讲。
She'd rather die than give a speech.
‘Do you want to come with us?’ ‘No, I'd rather not.’
“你想跟我们一起来吗？”“不，我不想去。”
Would you rather walk or take the bus?
你愿意步行还是坐公共汽车？
‘Do you mind if I smoke?’ ‘Well, I'd rather you didn't.’
“你介意我抽烟吗？”“嗯，最好别抽。”
exclamation
Look at these examples.看下列例句：
The exam was fairly difficult.
这场考试相当难。
The exam was quite difficult.
这场考试相当难。
The exam was rather difficult.
这场考试十分难。
Quite is a little stronger than fairly and rather is a little stronger than quite . Rather is not very common in NAmE ; pretty has the same meaning and this is used in informal BrE too.quite比fairly词义稍强，而rather又比quite词义稍强。在北美英语中，rather不很通用。pretty与上述词含义相同，也用于非正式英国英语：
The exam was pretty difficult.
这场考试相当难。
In BrE quite has two meanings.你的文章简直太好了（非常好，尤指没预料到）。
I feel quite tired today
I feel quite exhausted.
我感到筋疲力尽。
Your essay is quite good
Your essay is quite good
In NAmE quite usually means something like ‘very’, not ‘fairly’ or ‘rather’. Pretty is used instead for this sense.在北美英语中，quite通常含very之意，而非fairly或rather。表示后一种意思用pretty。
rather
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1
PREP-PHRASE 而非；胜于；而不是
You use rather than when you are contrasting two things or situations. Rather than introduces the thing or situation that is not true or that you do not want.The problem was psychological rather than physiological...
问题是心理方面的而不是生理方面的。
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2
ADV 而是；更确切地说；还不如说；相反
You use rather when you are correcting something that you have just said, especially when you are describing a particular situation after saying what it is not.Twenty million years ago, Idaho was not the arid place it is now. Rather, it was warm and damp, populated by dense primordial forest...
2,000万年前，爱达荷州并不像现在这样干旱。相反，那时的爱达荷州温暖潮湿，有大片的原始森林。
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3
PHR-MODAL 宁愿/不愿；宁可/宁可不
If you say that you would rather do something or you'd rather do it, you mean that you would prefer to do it. If you say that you would rather not do something, you mean that you do not want to do it.If it's all the same to you, I'd rather work at home...
如果对你来说没什么差别，我宁愿在家中工作。
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4
ADV 有些;颇为;相当
You use rather to indicate that something is true to a fairly great extent, especially when you are talking about something unpleasant or undesirable.I grew up in rather unusual circumstances...
我在非同寻常的环境下长大。
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5
ADV （放在动词前）更…，宁愿…
You use rather before verbs that introduce your thoughts and feelings, in order to express your opinion politely, especially when a different opinion has been expressed.I rather think he was telling the truth...
我倒觉得他讲的是真话。
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6
CONVENTION （表示同意或接受）当然，的确
People sometimes say rather to express agreement or acceptance.'Well, he did have a sort of family connection with it, didn't he.' — 'Oh yes. Rather.'
“那么，他的确和它有些家族渊源，是不是？”——“噢，是的，的确如此。”
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7
rather, pretty, quite 和 fairly 都可以用于修饰形容词和副词，但是它们都没有very的程度强。rather 和 pretty 在这4个词中程度最强，意思和very最接近。表达这个意思时pretty是非正式说法。因此，如果对某人说Your work is pretty good（你干得非常好）或Your work is rather good（你干得相当好）要比说Your work is quite good（你干得很不错）或Your work is fairly good（你干得还不错）更令他高兴。但是，rather 往往和有消极意义的词连用，如：I was feeling rather sad（我觉得很难过）。在这些词中唯有rather可以和比较级或too连用。如：Global warming could be rather worse than we think it will be（全球变暖可能比我们想象的更加严重），He was becoming rather too friendly with my ex-boyfriend（他和我的前男友好得有些过了头）。quite比fairly的程度稍强一些，表示某物有些超乎人们的期望。如：Nobody here's ever heard of it but it is actually quite common（这里没有人听说过它，但是它实际上颇为常见）。
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adv
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1
- 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: kind of kinda sort of
-
2
- to a degree (not used with a negative)
- quite tasty
- quite soon
- quite ill
- quite rich
- Synonym: quite
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3
- on the contrary;rather (or instead), he wrote her a letter"
- rather than disappoint the children, he did two quick tricks before he left
- he didn't cal
- used English terms instead of Latin ones
- Synonym: instead
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4
- 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: preferably sooner
数据来源：WordNet
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It was a rather difficult question .
这是个相当难的问题。
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She fell and hurt her leg rather badly .
她跌倒了，腿伤得相当重。
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What made you choose the one rather than the other ?
你怎么选了这个而不是那个？
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The decision was based on emotion rather than rational thought .
这个决定不是基于理性的思考而是基于感情作出的。
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I 'd rather not talk about it in mixed company .
在男女混杂的场合，我不愿意谈论这件事。
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I 'd rather meet him here on my own home ground .
我宁愿在我自己的地盘上见他。
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They would rather work than live on welfare .
他们宁愿工作而不愿靠社会保障金过活。
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Would you rather walk or take the bus ?
你愿意步行还是坐公共汽车？
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I 'd rather you came with us .
我倒愿意你和我们一块儿去。
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Good writing is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule .
可惜优秀的文字作品真是可遇不可求。
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The report was a device used to hide rather than reveal problems .
这份报告不是揭露问题而是为掩盖问题而耍的花招。
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The patient has responded to the treatment rather better than expected .
病人对治疗的反应比预想的好得多。
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He was conscious that he was talking rather too much .
他意识到他说得实在太多了。
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The police presented a reactive rather than preventive strategy against crime .
警方对付犯罪的办法，不是事先加以防范，而是事后作出反应。
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It now seems a probability rather than just a possibility .
这件事似乎十拿九稳，而不是仅有可能。
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She 'd rather die than give a speech .
她宁愿死也不愿意演讲。
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Increasingly , training is taking place in the office rather than outside it .
在职培训日益增加，而不是脱产进行。
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I think I 'll have a cold drink rather than coffee .
我想要冷饮，不要咖啡。
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I 'd rather come with you .
我倒愿意和你一起去。
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Consumption rather than saving has become the central feature of contemporary societies .
现代社会的主要特征是消费而不是储蓄。
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They 've been rather timid in the changes they 've made .
他们对所进行的变革一直小心翼翼。
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She 's a rather large woman .
她是个大块头。
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It is easier to think in concrete terms rather than in the abstract .
结合具体的事物来思考要比抽象思考容易些。
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It would be better to transport the goods by rail rather than by road .
用铁路运送这批货物会比用公路好。
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It was rather a difficult question .
这真是个难题。
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The office was large and functional rather than welcoming .
这个办公室大而实用，但不怎么宜人。
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He looks rather like his father .
他看上去很像他的父亲。
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Who 's the rather large lady in the hat ?
那位戴帽子的丰满女士是谁？
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I 'd rather do the journey in one go , and not stop on the way .
我宁愿一次走完全程，中途不停。
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I didn 't fail the exam ; in fact I did rather well !
我没有考不及格，事实上，我考得不错！
- 习语
同义词