rarely

/ˈreəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈrerli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈrer-lē/ (ame, mw)

rarely — adverb

1. happening or done only a very small number of times, so that the event is unusua

1.副詞B1
釋義

happening or done only a very small number of times, so that the event is unusual or surprising when it occurs

例句

Ishaan rarely eats dessert, but he made an exception for the chocolate cake.

collocation: rarely + eats / makes an exception

The museum's oldest exhibition room rarely has more than two visitors at a time.

同義詞
  • seldom

    More formal and literary; less common in everyday speech but interchangeable in writing.

  • infrequently

    More objective and descriptive, often used in reports or formal contexts.

  • hardly ever

    Informal and emphatic; common in spoken English, with a similar meaning but stronger emotional tone.

反義詞
  • often

    The most direct opposite; describes something that happens many times.

  • frequently

    Suggests regular or repeated occurrence, directly contrasting with 'rarely'.

  • regularly

    Implies a steady, predictable pattern, opposite of the irregularity suggested by 'rarely'.

用法筆記

Rarely goes before the main verb (I rarely go out) or after the first auxiliary or be-verb (I can rarely afford it; she is rarely late). When placed at the start of a clause for emphasis, the subject and auxiliary verb must be inverted: Rarely have I been so surprised.

常見錯誤

❌I visit my cousins rarely.
✅I rarely visit my cousins.
💡In standard English, 'rarely' goes before the main verb, not at the end of the sentence.
❌I rarely can believe what he says.
✅I can rarely believe what he says.
💡'Rarely' follows the first auxiliary verb.
❌She is rarely late, is she?' (tag question with 'rarely')
✅She is rarely late, isn't she?
💡Negative adverbs like 'rarely' do not make the sentence grammatically negative for tag questions.