Synonyms for

Rarely

Verb / ˈrerli: / Another word for rarely — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

not often; infrequently

Synonyms & similar words

seldom often seldom occasionally hardly scarcely sporadically infrequently rare uncommonly unfrequently barely

Synonyms by register

Formal

infrequently seldom hardly ever

Informal

hardly not often once in a blue moon

Literary

scarcely rare

Antonyms

often frequently regularly habitually commonly usually always

Common collocations

  • rarely seen
  • rarely happens
  • rarely used
  • rarely mentioned
  • rarely goes
  • rarely eats
  • rarely visits

Word family

adverb rarely

Usage note

Rarely is an adverb indicating that something happens very infrequently. It is often used in formal and informal contexts.

Example sentences

  1. He rarely misses a day of school.
  2. I rarely go to bed before midnight.
  3. She rarely watches TV.
  4. We rarely eat out because it's expensive.
  5. He rarely talks during class.

Quotes

  • 'Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together.' - Petrarch
  • 'I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realizes an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.' - Virginia Woolf
  • 'The good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain until it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.' - Jane Addams

Try these popular words

the and that for you with was this are have not from

Practice

Play the Word Synonyms game · Choose level (start near 1)

Worksheets

Grade 4 · Grade 5 · Grade 6

Topics

Guides

Explore more words