Synonyms for rarely
- adverb
Most common
All synonyms
Adverb
seldom, infrequently, hardly, barely, sporadically, scarcely, uncommonly, unoften rare
Definitions
- adv. 1
Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.
We rarely go to the theatre.
Example sentences
- hardly He studied hard, hardly taking time out for lunch.
- barely Tom could barely hear what Mary was trying to say.
- seldom She is very careful, so she seldom makes mistakes.
- infrequently Not infrequently, more happens in a day than in a year.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| rarely | steady | |
| hardly | steady | |
| barely | rising | |
| seldom | falling | |
| infrequently | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- hardly2, barely2, seldom2
- 7 letters
- unoften
- 8 letters
- scarcely2
- 10 letters
- uncommonly4
- 12 letters
- infrequently4, sporadically4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (hardly2 = 2 syllables).