seldom

Meanings

1. 1adverbnot comparableformal

   On only a few occasions; not often.

   Grammar: Goes before the main verb or after be: she seldom smiles, he is seldom late; it already has a negative meaning, so do not add not.

   Patterns

   • seldom do something
   • seldom if ever

   My grandfather seldom spoke about the war.

   She is seldom late for work.

   We seldom eat out because the town has few restaurants.

2. 2adverbnot comparableliterary

   Placed at the start of a sentence for emphasis, followed by inverted word order like an auxiliary verb before the subject.

   Grammar: Needs inversion: Seldom have I seen such kindness, not Seldom I have seen.

   Patterns

   • seldom have/has/do/does/did + subject

   Seldom have I heard such beautiful music.

   Seldom does the weather change so quickly here.

   Seldom did they see their cousins after the move.

Common combinations

seldom if ever

He seldom if ever answers his phone.

seldom seen

The bird is seldom seen outside the mountains.

very seldom

Very seldom do we get snow this early.

seldom heard

Her name is seldom heard in the news now.

seldom, if at all

They visit seldom, if at all.

Synonyms and how they differ

rarely

Rarely is the more common choice in everyday speech, while seldom sounds a little more formal or bookish.

hardly ever

Hardly ever is casual and chatty, and it fits conversation better than seldom.

infrequently

Infrequently is formal and clinical, whereas seldom has a gentler, more natural feel.

scarcely ever

Scarcely ever stresses how few the occasions are, often with a hint of surprise.

Opposites

Word family

seldomness noun

rare and little used, the state of being seldom

rarely adverb

a more common word with a similar meaning

seldom-seen adjective

hyphenated adjective for things not often seen

Commonly confused: seldom or seldom vs. rarely? seldom or selfdom?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “seldom”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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