rarely

English

Etymology

From rare +‎ -ly.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛːli/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛəɹli/

  • Audio (US)

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• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ɹeə.liː/, or IPA^(key): /ɹeəɹliː/ (to distinguish from really)
  • Homophone: really
• Hyphenation: rare‧ly
• Rhymes: (UK) -ɛːli, (US) -ɛəɹli

Adverb

rarely (comparative rarelier or more rarely, superlative rareliest or most rarely)

1. Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.

   We rarely go to the theatre.

   Rarely do you ever find an eagle this far up the river.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:rarely

2. Unusually well; excellently.
3. To a rare degree; very.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 32, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book II, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:

     others speake very honourably of his life and death, and in all other circumstances declare him to have beene a most excellent and rarely virtuous man.

Usage notes

It is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never.

• Compare We rarely ever go to the theatre. with We almost never go to the theatre.

Synonyms

• barely
• hardly
• infrequently
• once in a while
• seldom
• sporadically
• scarcely
• Thesaurus:rarely

Antonyms

• frequently, usually, often

Translations

References

• “rarely”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “rarely”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• rearly