ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rarely

adv. freq.
B1 Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɹɛɹɫi// UK //ɹˈeəli// rarely General-service

adv. not very often. You use this to describe something that happens only a few times or almost never.

adv. at infrequent intervals; not often. Typically functions as a frequency marker that modifies the verb or the entire clause.


SIMPLE

I rarely eat breakfast before eight in the morning.

CONTEXTUAL

The desert receives very little rain, so it rarely stays green for more than a few weeks each year.

COMPLEX

Although the two scientists shared a laboratory for over a decade, they rarely spoke about anything other than their immediate research objectives.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From rare + -ly.

Usage

Frequency adverb — usually placed before the main verb, but after the verb 'to be'.

Pitfall

I rarely don't go to the gym.I rarely go to the gym.Rarely has a negative meaning; using it with another negative like 'don't' creates a double negative, which is usually incorrect.

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