adverb
rarely
Not often.
She rarely drives to work because she prefers the train.
Etymology
Rare developed from scattered or sparse to infrequent. The adverb describes something occurring at widely separated times or on few occasions.
More examples
- It rarely snows here, even in January.
- I have rarely seen him so excited.
- These old coins rarely appear for sale.
Forms
rarely · more rarely · most rarely
rare adjective — Not common or frequently encountered.
Similar words
- seldom
- Means nearly the same but sounds slightly more formal.
- infrequently
- Emphasizes low frequency and often sounds more formal.