Adverb

vielmehr

Translation

rather, instead, on the contrary

Er ist nicht müde, vielmehr ist er voller Energie.

He is not tired; rather, he is full of energy.

Das ist keine Kritik, vielmehr ein guter Rat.

That is not a criticism, but rather good advice.

Sie schwieg, vielmehr wusste sie nichts zu sagen.

She was silent; rather, she didn't know what to say.

(at start of clause) rather, on the contrary He is not lazy; rather, he works very efficiently.

Synonyms: eher (rather), stattdessen (instead), im Gegenteil (on the contrary)

A compound of 'viel' (much) and 'mehr' (more). It literally means 'much more' and is used to correct a previous statement with a more accurate one.

Think of it as 'much more' this than that. It negates the first part of a sentence and introduces the truer alternative: 'Not X, vielmehr Y'.