Rarely

/ˈrɛərli/

Meaning & Definition

adverb

Not often; seldom.

She rarely visits her hometown since moving away.

Infrequently; occasionally.

The artist rarely exhibits her work, making each show a special event.

Not common; few and far between.

He rarely goes out to eat, preferring to cook at home.

Used to indicate that something does not happen often.

They rarely travel abroad due to their busy schedules.

Implying that something unusual or extraordinary occurs at long intervals.

It rarely snows here, which is why the children were so excited.

From Middle English 'rarelie', equivalent to 'rare' + '-ly'.

once in a blue moon

Very rarely.

once in a while

Occasionally, but not often.

a rare breed

Something that is uncommon.

seldom

Not often; rarely.

infrequent

Not occurring often.

occasional

Happening from time to time.

Ain't gonna happen.

He rarely shows up to the party, so don't expect him.

Not my style.

I rarely dress up for events, it's just not my style.