adv · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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râr'li
UK:/ˈɹɛːli/
US:/ˈɹɛəɹli/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Multicultural-London-English:/ɹɛli/
/ɹeə.liː/
homophone: really
/ɹeəɹliː/to distinguish from really
rhymes with (UK) -ɛːli
rhymes with (US) -ɛəɹli
CMU ARPABET:R EH1 R L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
We rarely go to the theatre.
Rarely do you ever find an eagle this far up the river.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Unusually well; excellently.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
After all the schooling, I can finally write rarely now.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adv
Meaning 3
To a rare degree; very.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I became a rarely good judge of the best in modern painting.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adverb
Meaning 4
not often
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
we rarely met
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: seldom
Antonyms: often
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English rare Middle English -ly English -ly English rarely From rare + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
64 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
قَلِيلًا
(qalīlan)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Arabic:
قَلِيلًا مَا
(qalīlan mā)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Arabic:
قَلَّمَا
(qallamā)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Arabic:
نَادِرًا
(nādiran)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Arabic:
قليل
(qlīl)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Armenian:
հազվադեպ
(hazvadep)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Azerbaijani:
gec-gec
— not occurring at a regular interval
Bulgarian:
рядко
(rjadko)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Catalan:
rarament
— not occurring at a regular interval
Chinese Mandarin:
很少
(hěnshǎo)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Chinese Mandarin:
罕有地
(hǎnyǒu de)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Czech:
zřídka
— not occurring at a regular interval
Danish:
sjældent
— not occurring at a regular interval
Dutch:
zelden
— not occurring at a regular interval
Esperanto:
malofte
— not occurring at a regular interval
Faroese:
sjáldan
— not occurring at a regular interval
Finnish:
harvoin
— not occurring at a regular interval
French:
rarement
— not occurring at a regular interval
German:
selten
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ancient Greek:
σπανίως
(spaníōs)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Hungarian:
ritkán
— not occurring at a regular interval
Icelandic:
sjaldan
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ido:
rare
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ingrian:
harvaa
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ingrian:
harvoin
— not occurring at a regular interval
Italian:
raramente
— not occurring at a regular interval
Japanese:
滅多に...ない
(mettani ... nai)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Japanese:
稀に
— not occurring at a regular interval
Latin:
rārē
— not occurring at a regular interval
Latvian:
reti
— not occurring at a regular interval
Lithuanian:
retai
— not occurring at a regular interval
Macedonian:
ретко
(retko)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Norwegian Bokmål:
sjelden
— not occurring at a regular interval
Norwegian Nynorsk:
sjeldan
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ojibwe:
wiikaa
— not occurring at a regular interval
Polish:
rzadko
— not occurring at a regular interval
Portuguese:
raramente
— not occurring at a regular interval
Romanian:
rar
— not occurring at a regular interval
Romanian:
rareori
— not occurring at a regular interval
Russian:
ре́дко
(rédko)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Russian:
нечасто
(nečasto)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Russian:
изредка
(izredka)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Serbo-Croatian:
rijetko
— not occurring at a regular interval
Slovene:
rédko
— not occurring at a regular interval
Spanish:
rara vez
— not occurring at a regular interval
Spanish:
raramente
— not occurring at a regular interval
Swedish:
ovanligen
— not occurring at a regular interval
Swedish:
sällan
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ukrainian:
рі́дко
(rídko)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ukrainian:
зрі́дка
(zrídka)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ukrainian:
і́нколи
(ínkoly)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Ukrainian:
неча́сто
(nečásto)
— not occurring at a regular interval
Uzbek:
kamdan-kam
— not occurring at a regular interval
Volapük:
selediko
— not occurring at a regular interval
Volapük:
plödakösömiko
— not occurring at a regular interval
Walloon:
rålmint
— not occurring at a regular interval
Bulgarian:
забележително
(zabeležitelno)
— unusually well
Russian:
замеча́тельно
(zamečátelʹno)
— unusually well
Bulgarian:
изключително
(izključitelno)
— to a rare degree
Russian:
исключи́тельно
(isključítelʹno)
— to a rare degree
Russian:
на ре́дкость
(na rédkostʹ)
— to a rare degree
Ukrainian:
напро́чуд
(napróčud)
— to a rare degree
Ukrainian:
ви́ключно
(výključno)
— to a rare degree
Ukrainian:
винятко́во
(vynjatkóvo)
— to a rare degree
