rarely

[ rair-lee ]
See synonyms for rarely on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. on rare occasions; infrequently; seldom: I'm rarely late for appointments.

  2. exceptionally; in an unusual degree.

  1. unusually or remarkably well; excellent.

Origin of rarely

1
First recorded in 1515–25; rare1 + -ly

Words Nearby rarely

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rarely in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rarely

rarely

/ (ˈrɛəlɪ) /


adverb
  1. hardly ever; seldom: I'm rarely in town these days

  2. to an unusual degree; exceptionally

  1. dialect uncommonly well; excellently: he did rarely at market yesterday

usage For rarely

Since rarely means hardly ever, one should not say something rarely ever happens

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