rarely
/ˈrɛəli/
not often
She rarely eats junk food.
She does not often eat junk food.
general
not often; infrequently
He rarely visits his hometown.
He does not visit his hometown very often.
It rarely snows in this city.
Snowfall is infrequent in this city.
Often used to describe something that happens very infrequently.
Collocations
rarely everalmost neverrarely if everalmost never
Pro Tip
Usage Tip
'Rarely' is stronger than 'seldom' but weaker than 'never.' Use it to describe something that happens very infrequently but not never.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'rarely,' from Old French 'rare' (rare) + '-ly' (adverb suffix).
Usage Notes
Often used to emphasize how infrequent an action or event is. Can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
Word Breakdown
rare
not common or frequent
root-ly
adverb suffix
suffixEnglish Dictionary