Collocations for "rather"
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word "rather" in context.
WordReference English Collocations © 2025
rather
ⓘMost examples are given in US English. We have labeled exceptions as UK.adv
- would rather (not) [go, try, see]
- would really rather not
- would rather be [there, at home, somewhere else]
- would like [potatoes, red] rather than
- would rather have [potatoes] (than)
- would rather [believe, think] that
- [I would, I'd] rather you (didn't)
- buy used rather than new
- or rather the opposite
- was rather [good, awful, informative]
- seems rather soon for
- that is rather [large, fast]
- he died rather [young, old, rich]
- rather [liked, hated] it
- dated, UK: is it any good? Rather!
'rather' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Asian
- Earth
- I
- abrupt
- aisle
- ambitious
- baggy
- big
- bitter
- bizarre
- bleak
- blue
- bold
- brave
- coarse
- complicated
- concerned
- concerning
- convenient
- crude
- curious
- dated
- deadly
- depend
- difficult
- disappointing
- dismal
- disturbing
- domestic
- doubtful
- drab
- dry
- dubious
- dull
- edgy
- elevator
- expensive
- fond
- former
- forward
- fraught
- good
- haphazard
- hastily
- he
- heavy
- inconvenient
- instead
- jolly
- large