vielmehr
Translation
rather, instead, on the contrary
Examples
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.
Grammar Patterns
(at start of clause) rather, on the contrary He is not lazy; rather, he works very efficiently.
Similar Words
Synonyms: eher (rather), stattdessen (instead), im Gegenteil (on the contrary)
Etymology
Composed of 'viel' (much) and 'mehr' (more). The literal meaning 'much more' evolved into its current use of 'rather' or 'on the contrary' to introduce a more fitting description.
Memory Tips
Remember it as correcting a statement with something that is 'much more' the case. 'He's not lazy, (it's much more that) he's efficient'.