Meaning & use
rarely
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Meanings
adverb
Not often; almost never.
Grammar: Usually placed before the main verb but after auxiliary or modal verbs, e.g. 'She rarely eats meat.' / 'He has rarely been late.'
Patterns
- rarely + verb
- rarely ever
- very rarely
- rarely if ever
She rarely drinks coffee after noon.
We rarely see snow in this part of the country.
He has rarely missed a day of work in ten years.
adverb
Used to say that something is unusual or surprising when it does happen.
Grammar: Often at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, followed by inversion: 'Rarely have I seen such courage.'
Patterns
- Rarely + auxiliary + subject + verb
- rarely does someone do something
Rarely have I heard such a beautiful voice.
Rarely does a film win both awards.
Only rarely do we get a chance like this.
Word forms
| comparative | more rarely |
|---|---|
| superlative | most rarely |
Common combinations
- rarely ever
- She rarely ever complains about anything.
- very rarely
- Very rarely do we eat out on weekdays.
- rarely if ever
- He rarely if ever takes a holiday.
- rarely available
- These tickets are rarely available this late.
Synonyms and how they differ
- seldom
- More formal and a little old-fashioned in everyday speech; rarely is the common choice in modern English.
- hardly ever
- Means almost never and is slightly stronger; rarely can also mean 'not often' but not quite 'never'.
- infrequently
- More formal and neutral, often used in writing about events or actions.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: rarely or really?
rarely vs really
Means 'very' or 'truly', not 'not often'. They sound similar but have completely different meanings.
Practice
He ______ goes to the gym, maybe once a month.
Choose one answer.
Rarely means not often, which fits 'once a month'. 'Really' means very or truly. 'Rare' is an adjective and 'rarity' is a noun, so neither can modify the verb 'goes'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rarely”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.