Rather vs Moderate - What's the difference?
rather | moderate |
(obsolete) More quickly; sooner, earlier.
Used to specify a choice or preference; preferably. (Now usually followed by than )
*
(conjunctive) Used to introduce a contradiction; on the contrary.
(conjunctive) Introducing a qualification or clarification; more precisely. (Now usually preceded by or .)
* 1897 , (Henry James), (What Maisie Knew) :
* 1898, J. A. Hamilton, ", Volume LIV: Stanhope–Stovin , The MacMillan Company,
* , chapter=12
, title= (degree) Somewhat, fairly.
(nonstandard, or, dialectal) To prefer; to prefer to.
* 1984 , Bruce Brooks, The Moves Make the Man :
* 2002 , Sarah Waters, Fingersmith :
* 2002 , Elizabeth Bowen, The Heat of the Day :
* 2007 , Mikel Schaefer, Lost in Katrina , page 323:
(obsolete) Prior; earlier; former.
* Sir J. Mandeville
Not excessive; acting in moderation
* Jonathan Swift
Mediocre
Average priced; standard-deal
Not violent or rigorous; temperate; mild; gentle.
* Walter
(US, politics) Having an intermediate position between liberal and conservative.
One who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.
To reduce the excessiveness of (something)
* Arbuthnot
* Spenser
To become less excessive
To preside over (something) as a moderator
To act as a moderator; to assist in bringing to compromise
As verbs the difference between rather and moderate
is that rather is (nonstandard|or|dialectal) to prefer; to prefer to while moderate is to reduce the excessiveness of (something).As adjectives the difference between rather and moderate
is that rather is (obsolete) prior; earlier; former while moderate is not excessive; acting in moderation.As an adverb rather
is (obsolete) more quickly; sooner, earlier.As a noun moderate is
one who holds an intermediate position between extremes, as in politics.rather
English
Adverb
(-)- Firstly, I continue to base most species treatments on personally collected material, rather than on herbarium plants.
- What the pupil already knew was indeed rather taken for granted than expressed, but it performed the useful function of transcending all textbooks and supplanting all studies.
page 60,
- His ‘Iliad’ is spirited and polished, and, though often rather a paraphrase than a translation, is always more truly poetic than most of the best translations.
The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill.
Usage notes
* (somewhat) This is a non-descriptive qualifier'', similar to quite and fairly and somewhat. It is used where a plain adjective needs to be modified, but cannot be qualified. When spoken, the meaning can vary with the tone of voice and stress. "''He was rather big''" can mean anything from "not small" to "huge" (meiosis with the stress on ''rather ).Synonyms
* liever, liefer, as lief * (to a certain extent) somewhat, fairly, quiteAntonyms
* (somewhat) utterlyVerb
(en verb)- Until just before the pie was popped into the heat. A few of them suddenly realized who put that gorgeous hunk of crackers together, and gaped. We grinned back, but very cool. The ones who knew said nothing, rathering to die than let on they had been hustled by two negative dudes.
- It was a plain brown dress, more or less the colour of my hair; and the walls of our kitchen being also brown, when I came downstairs again I could hardly be seen. I should have rathered a blue gown, or a violet one
- So you must excuse my saying anything I did: all it was, that up to the very last I had understood us all to be friendly — apart, that is, from his rathering me not there. How was I to know he would flash out so wicked?
- "That was a killer," said Chris. "I'd rathered' die in St. Bernard than spent one minute over there. I would have ' rathered the storm, shaking with the wind and rain hitting in the boat for an eternity than spending any time there.
Adjective
(-)- Now no man dwelleth at the rather town.
moderate
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- moderate language
- a moderate Calvinist
- travelling at a moderate speed
- A number of moderate members managed to obtain a majority in a thin house.
- a moderate winter
- moderate showers
Derived terms
* moderately * moderatenessSynonyms
* See also * See alsoNoun
(wikipedia moderate) (en noun)- ''While the moderates usually propose political compromise, it's often only achieved when the extremists allow them so
- The moderates are the natural advocates of ecumenism against the fanatics of their churches.
Verb
(moderat)- to moderate rage, action, desires, etc.
- By its astringent quality, it moderates the relaxing quality of warm water.
- To moderate stiff minds disposed to strive.
- to moderate a synod