rather与同义词的区分

rather作为独立的副词使用，可表示“相当”的意思。其同义词有：pretty, quite, fairly。它们表示“相当”的程度从强到弱依次为：rather, pretty, quite, fairly
1. 当rather修饰表示批评、失望、惊奇等带有负面含义的形容词和副词时，该词传达说话人的一种否定、不赞成的态度，意为“颇为，在一定程度上”。例如：
This initially rather dull hobby had led him into fresh fields of enjoyment.
这个刚开始颇无趣的爱好带他进入了一个全新的乐土。
2. 与fairly的区别
fairly也可表示“颇，在一定程度上”的意思，但通常置于一些带有肯定、正面含义的形容词和副词之前。如果所修饰的形容词或副词为中性词，那么用rather，就会传达出说话人否定、不赞成的态度，用fairly则传达说话人肯定的态度。
北京的夏天太热了。
The summer in Beijing is rather hot.
(The speaker dislikes it.)
说话者不太喜欢
北京的夏天挺干燥的。
The summer in Beijing is fairly dry.
(The speaker likes it.)
说话者喜欢这种适宜的感觉
3. 与pretty, quite等的用法区别
修饰单数可数名词时，fairly和pretty只能放在冠词之后，而quite 和rather 可前可后。
这是一部好电影。
It is quite a good film.
=It is a quite good film.
It is rather a good film.
=It is a rather good film.
It is a fairly good film.
It is a pretty good film.

rather习惯用语及搭配形式

1. would rather 宁可，宁愿
(1) would rather后接动词原形；表否定时，后接not +动词原形：
I'll never be dependent on anyone again. I would rather starve (than be dependent on anyone else).
我再也不依靠任何人了。我宁愿饿死（也不靠别人）。
John really dislikes dancing. He would rather not go dancing with his wife.
约翰确实不喜欢跳舞。他宁可不和妻子一起去跳舞。
(2) would rather接that从句，从句用虚拟语气，即用一般过去时表示现在或将来的动作或状态，用过去完成时表示过去的动作或状态。如:
I'd rather (that) you set out to do the task now.
我宁愿你现在就着手这项工作。
（与现在相反用过去时set）
I'd rather you picked her up at the airport tomorrow morning.
我宁愿你明早去机场接她。
（与将来相反与用过去时picked）
与过去相反
I'd rather you had not told her the news that day.
我宁愿你那天没告诉她这个消息。
（与将来相反用过去完成时had done）
(3) 变体形式：would rather do ... than do ... 宁可……也不……
I would rather die than surrender to the enemy.
我宁可死也不会向敌人屈服。
2. rather than
(1) 接形容词/名词，表示“与其……，不如……”
This pair of shoes is comfortable rather than pretty.
这双鞋与其说是漂亮，不如说是舒服。
John is a doctor rather than a teacher.
与其说约翰是个老师，不如说他是个医生。
(2) 接名词或代词，可表示“而不是”的意思，相当于短语instead of或in place of：
I, rather than he, should be responsible for this failure.
该对这次失败负责的是我，而不是他。
(3) 接动词原形，表示“而不是”：
Rather than allow the vegetables to go bad, he sold them at half price.
他将蔬菜半价卖掉，而不是让菜坏掉。
3. or rather 表示“更确切地说”，起进一步解释说明的作用：
She worked as a secretary, or rather, a personal assistant.
她当了秘书，确切地讲，是私人助理。
4. not ... but rather ... 表示“不是……，相反（而是）……”
Their problem is not a lack of funding, but rather a lack of planning.
他们的问题不是缺乏资金，而是缺乏规划。
5. rather than 与prefer 连用
(1) prefer to do ... rather than do ... 表示“宁愿做……而不愿做……”：
They prefer to repeat their former experiences rather than take new risks.
他们宁可重复以前的经历也不愿意进行新的冒险。
(2) prefer+名词... rather than +名词，替代prefer ... to的用法，如:
I should prefer wine rather than beer.
我宁愿喝红酒而不愿喝啤酒。