rarely

adverb

rare·​ly ˈrer-lē How to pronounce rarely (audio)
1
: not often : seldom
2
: with rare skill : excellently
3
: in an extreme or exceptional manner

Examples of rarely in a Sentence

She rarely talks about her past. Rarely do we see this kind of weather in our area. Only rarely is surgery necessary to treat this condition.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Bills’ pass rush rarely closed. The Athletic Nfl Staff, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025 Even Sinner’s groundstroke attacks rarely knocked over the skittles in Alcaraz’s playground. Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Amazon’s sale section is packed with stellar deals this month — including a few rarely-on-sale beauty tools that should be on your radar. Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025 For most federal criminal and civil cases, these kinds of records are rarely made public. Julie K. Brown Miami Herald, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rarely

Word History

First Known Use

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rarely was in 1549

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rarely.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rarely. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

rarely

adverb
rare·​ly ˈra(ə)r-lē How to pronounce rarely (audio)
ˈre(ə)r-
: not often : seldom

More from Merriam-Webster on rarely

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!