rarely
12 synonyms and 3 antonyms for rarely, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adv — Not often; seldom.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
Frequently asked questions
What does “rarely” mean?
The word “rarely” means not often; seldom. In plain terms, almost never — the opposite of "often.".
How do you pronounce “rarely”?
“Rarely” is pronounced RAIR-lee (/ˈɹɛəɹli/ in IPA).
How do you use “rarely” in a sentence?
Here is “rarely” used in a sentence: “She rarely eats meat.”
What is another word for “rarely”?
Words with a similar meaning to “rarely” include barely, hardly, infrequently, once in a while, seldom and sporadically.
What is the opposite of “rarely”?
The opposite of “rarely” — its antonyms — are frequently, usually and often.
What part of speech is “rarely”?
“Rarely” is an adverb.
Is “rarely” a common word?
“Rarely” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between rarely and barely?
Rarely is about frequency and means not often, as in we rarely eat out. Barely is about degree and means only just or almost not, as in I could barely hear you. They are easy to confuse because both feel negative, but rarely counts how often something happens while barely measures how much.
What is the difference between rarely and scarcely?
The two can overlap. Scarcely often means almost not, as in I could scarcely believe it, similar to barely. But scarcely can also mean rarely, as in we scarcely see them now. Rarely is the clearer choice when you simply mean not often, without the sense of almost not at all.
What is the opposite of rarely?
The opposites relate to frequency and include often, frequently, usually, and regularly. Where rarely means something happens only now and then, these words describe it happening much of the time. Always sits at the far end, meaning every single time without exception.
What is an example of rarely in a sentence?
You might say, she rarely misses a day of work, or it rarely snows here in spring. In each case rarely tells us the event happens only occasionally, not never but far from often. It sits comfortably before the main verb in most sentences.