Synonyms of rarely

rarely

adverb

ˈrer-lē 

as in seldom

not often

summer thunderstorms occur only rarely along the Oregon coast

Synonyms & Similar Words

• seldom
• infrequently
• never
• sporadically
• occasionally
• once in a blue moon
• little
• sometimes
• irregularly
• now and then
• ne'er
• episodically

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• often
• frequently
• usually
• generally
• ordinarily
• oft
• routinely
• oftentimes
• always
• customarily
• habitually
• ever
• invariably
• constantly
• continually
• continuously
• forever
• endlessly
• perpetually
• repeatedly
• eternally
• chronically
• perennially
• unceasingly
• everlastingly
• evermore
• recurrently

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rarely

Because of the secrecy that goes into making them, new Sacha Baron Cohen projects rarely come with much fanfare until the last possible minute. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Aug. 2026

The deaths among Followers’ infants came from ailments that rarely take children’s lives. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026

Rights groups say Israel rarely holds troops accountable for killing Palestinians, pointing to long investigations that rarely lead to prosecution. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026

The Royals completed a perfect seven-game homestand Sunday, the kind of thing great teams rarely do and bad teams basically never do. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026