rarely
on rare occasions; infrequently; seldom: I'm rarely late for appointments.
exceptionally; in an unusual degree.
unusually or remarkably well; excellent.
Origin of rarely
1Words Nearby rarely
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rarely in a sentence
In 2020, the 40 biggest hits rarely hit 30 million streams, according to Quartz’s analysis of Spotify data.
While these happen relatively commonly in the real world, they rarely happen during candidate speeches or video calls, which are prime targets during an election season.
Microsoft’s new video authenticator could help weed out dangerous deepfakes | Stan Horaczek | September 3, 2020 | Popular-ScienceThis is why you rarely smell when you’re blasting through a workout but no one wants to be around you an hour later.
Working out at home? Here’s how to keep your house from smelling like a gym. | Harry Guinness | September 3, 2020 | Popular-ScienceIn his studies of coyote diets, he’s rarely found remains of pets or signs of human food, pet food or garbage.
Are coyotes moving into your neighborhood? | Kathryn Hulick | September 3, 2020 | Science News For StudentsPatients with mental health conditions rarely receive discounted passes.
Morning Report: MTS Rejects Many Who Applied for Disabled Fare Reductions | Voice of San Diego | August 31, 2020 | Voice of San Diego
It is grandstanding for a right rarely protected unless under immediate attack.
Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead | Luke O’Neil | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTMorris struggled to straighten his back, which involved stiffening a spine rarely used.
Powerful Congressman Writes About ‘Fleshy Breasts’ | Asawin Suebsaeng | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThey had rarely seen their own fathers carry small children unless their mothers were ill.
How Good Dads Can Change the World | Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman | January 6, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTFor those living in poor communities in particular, interactions with police rarely come with good news and a smile.
The penalty is only rarely imposed, as members often resign before they can be voted out of Congress.
The Felon Who Wouldn’t Leave Congress | Ben Jacobs, David Freedlander | December 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe Vine is a universal favorite, and rarely out of view; while it often seems to cover half the ground in sight.
Glances at Europe | Horace GreeleyThe case may be kept in a light position, and when once under way it will rarely need any additional water.
How to Know the Ferns | S. Leonard BastinShe has boldly reproduced upon canvas a fulness of life and joy, such as is rarely seen in pictures.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D. | Clara Erskine Clementrarely, sodium urate occurs in crystalline form—slender prisms, arranged in fan- or sheaf-like structures (Fig. 32).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThey always imply desquamation of epithelium, which rarely occurs except in parenchymatous inflammations (Figs. 60 and 61).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
British Dictionary definitions for rarely
/ (ˈrɛəlɪ) /
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 For rarely
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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