rarely

/ˈrɛərli/

Say it: RARE-lee

adverb On an infrequent basis; not often; seldom.
She rarely takes a day off from work.

📖 Seen in the wild

She rarely missed an opportunity to visit her grandmother, despite her busy schedule.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ rarely in a sentence

The northern lights are rarely visible this far south.
I rarely eat red meat anymore, maybe once or twice a year.
He was a quiet man who rarely spoke unless spoken to first.
This particular side effect is very rarely reported, affecting less than one percent of users.
Rarely does a new technology have such a profound and immediate impact on society.
We rarely saw our grandfather without his favorite tweed cap.
The board rarely overrules the CEO's decisions, a testament to their trust in his leadership.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

seldom infrequently hardly ever scarcely uncommonly not often

seldom · a very close synonym, but often considered slightly more formal or literary.

infrequently · a more formal and technical-sounding alternative.

hardly ever · an informal phrase that strongly emphasizes the extreme infrequency, bordering on never.

scarcely · implies that something happens, but only just barely or with difficulty.

Opposites: often, frequently, commonly, usually, always

🌱 Where it comes from

The word 'rarely' simply adds the adverb-forming suffix '-ly' to the adjective 'rare'. 'Rare' itself traces back to the Latin word 'rarus', which meant 'thin, spaced apart, or infrequent'. So, 'rarely' has stayed remarkably true to its roots, meaning 'in a rare or infrequent manner'.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

rarely seenrarely if eververy rarelyrarely happensrarely mentioned

As a negative adverb, 'rarely' affects sentence structure. When placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, it forces an inversion of the subject and auxiliary verb (e.g., 'Rarely have I seen such a display.'). Be mindful of its strength; it indicates a much lower frequency than 'sometimes' or 'occasionally' but is less absolute than 'never'.

Word family: rare, rarity, rarefy

💬 Quick answers

What does rarely mean?

Rarely means not often or seldom. It describes an action or event that happens on an infrequent basis, somewhere between 'sometimes' and 'never'.

What is the difference between 'rarely' and 'seldom'?

They are very close in meaning. However, 'seldom' is often considered slightly more formal or literary, while 'rarely' is more common in everyday speech and writing.

Is 'rarely ever' a correct phrase?

Yes, 'rarely ever' and 'rarely if ever' are grammatically correct idiomatic phrases. They are used to add extra emphasis to the infrequency of something.

Where does 'rarely' go in a sentence?

It typically goes before the main verb ('I rarely watch TV') or after a form of the verb 'to be' ('He is rarely home'). For emphasis, it can begin a sentence, which causes the subject and verb to invert ('Rarely do I watch TV').

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