rarely
Americanadverb
-
on rare occasions; infrequently; seldom.
I'm rarely late for appointments.
-
exceptionally; in an unusual degree.
-
unusually or remarkably well; excellent.
adverb
-
hardly ever; seldom
I'm rarely in town these days
-
to an unusual degree; exceptionally
-
dialect uncommonly well; excellently
he did rarely at market yesterday
Usage
Since rarely means hardly ever , one should not say something rarely ever happens
Etymology
Origin of rarely
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The film presents a swath of characters from the diaspora rarely represented in French cinema, centered on Gloria, the mother of the bride in France and the daughter of the deceased in Africa.
From Barron's
Yet even “ANTM” winners rarely managed to sustain modeling careers after exiting the show.
From Los Angeles Times
The power of the workers in the church means they are rarely challenged.
From BBC
The Scottish quartet beat their German counterparts in both the European and the World Championships last year and were rarely in danger here.
From BBC
For Jetton and his colleagues, the fight rarely enters the public eye, but is vital to global security.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
