Rather means to a noticeable degree, or in preference to something else. Rather good, rather than that, I would rather not.
As an intensifier it is a very British hedge: rather good means quite good and, said in the right tone, means very good indeed. Rather than introduces a preference or a correction. Would rather is the standard way of expressing choice, and it takes a bare infinitive: I would rather go. Note that rather is the old comparative of a word meaning quickly, so it first meant sooner — which is exactly what I would rather still means.
1adverbratherTo a noticeable degree.~2%
“It's rather cold today, so take a warm coat.”
2adverbpreferenceIn preference to something else.~98%
“I'd rather stay at home than go to the party.”
Shares are an estimate: a language model read 13 sentences found in the wild and placed 13 of them on a sense — a count of our sample, not a measurement of English.
rather is a degree or a preference.
Old English hrathor is the comparative of hrathe, quickly. Rather meant sooner, and I would rather is literally I would sooner — the old sense preserved intact.
Old English
hraþor
Middle English
rather
English, today
rather
Built from
From Middle English rather, from Old English hraþor, comparative of hraþe (“soon, early, fast”). More at rathe. Cognate with Dutch radder (“faster”), comparative of Dutch rad (“fast; quick”), German Low German radd, ratt (“rashly; quickly; hastily”), German gerade (“even; straight; direct”). by surface analysis, en + rathe + er.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA