rarely

[ rair-lee ]

/ ˈrɛər li /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR rarely ON THESAURUS.COM

adverb

on rare occasions; infrequently; seldom: I'm rarely late for appointments.

exceptionally; in an unusual degree.

unusually or remarkably well; excellent.

Words nearby rarely

rarebit, raree show, rarefaction, rarefied, rarefy, rarely, rarely ever, rareripe, raring, raring to go, rarity

Origin of rarely

First recorded in 1515–25; rare¹ + -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for rarely

They 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
“Moving on” from the death of a loved one is rarely uniform.
Grief: The Real Monster in The Babadook|Tim Teeman|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Kabul you rarely see people shouting at each other or getting angry in public.
Afghanistan, We Hardly Knew You|Jonathan Foreman|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Mary is rarely just Mary in this selection—she is almost always depicted with her newborn or dead son.
The Virgin Mary Lookbook|William O’Connor|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Cubans nearly all drink, but very little at a time, and rarely get drunk.
Pioneering in Cuba|James Meade Adams
With its rarely fine atmosphere, so tonic and bracing, so free from the depressing fog of the North, it is a great sanitarium.
Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science|Various
The great intellectual wealth of the German language has rarely been revealed to such an extent in any age as in this writer.
History of Rationalism Embracing a Survey of the Present State of Protestant Theology|John F. Hurst
Because of prejudice, however, it is rarely that the happily married woman makes a business or professional career.
Analyzing Character|Katherine M. H. Blackford and Arthur Newcomb
These minerals are rare, and the implements made of them were small chisel-like blades, rarely exceeding an inch in length.
The New Stone Age in Northern Europe|John M. Tyler

British Dictionary definitions for rarely

rarely

/ (ˈrɛəlɪ) /

adverb

hardly ever; seldomI'm rarely in town these days

to an unusual degree; exceptionally

dialect uncommonly well; excellentlyhe 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

rarely

adverb

Words related to rarely

Words nearby rarely

Origin of rarely

Examples from the Web for rarely

British Dictionary definitions for rarely

adverb

usage for rarely