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
Explanation
If you almost never do something, you can say you do it rarely. If you walk or bike to work most days, you could say that you rarely take the bus. Something that happens rarely happens only once in a while, or seldom. You might sigh that your town's baseball team rarely wins a game, or boast that you rarely forget a person's name once you've been introduced. The word comes from the adjective rare, "not occurring often," or "unusual," from the Old French rere, "sparse," and its root, the Latin word rarus, "thinly sown, with intervals between, or full of empty spaces."
Vocabulary lists containing rarely
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 9
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Rosetta Stone's Essential Academic Vocabulary: Lesson 17
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
And rarely has someone handed one to him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
They eventually won over Jane Street, the EA-tinged trading firm that rarely allocates capital to outside managers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
She was also, in her own unique way, a dedicated revolutionary, rarely letting an opportunity pass to use her appearance to point out the perils and absurdity of stereotyping.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
The United States rarely executes women, no matter how gruesome their crimes.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
You remember that Picnic_ant sometimes refers to a new part-time job, though she rarely goes into details during game night.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
