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rarely |
Also found in: Wikipedia | 0.04 sec. |
rarely Adverb 1. hardly ever 2. to an unusual degree; exceptionally
USAGE: Since rarely means hardly ever, one should not say something rarely ever happens. ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
rarely adverb seldom, hardly, almost never, hardly ever, little, once in a while, infrequently, on rare occasions, once in a blue moon, only now and then, scarcely ever << OPPOSITE often USAGE Since the meaning of rarely is `hardly ever', the combination rarely ever is repetitive and should be avoided in careful writing, even though you may sometimes hear this phrase used in informal speech. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| ? Mentioned in | ? References in classic literature | ||
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| Quintillian's (11) judgment on Hesiod that `he rarely rises to great heights. When Claude and Quasimodo went out together, which frequently happened, and when they were seen traversing in company, the valet behind the master, the cold, narrow, and gloomy streets of the block of Notre-Dame, more than one evil word, more than one ironical quaver, more than one insulting jest greeted them on their way, unless Claude Frollo, which was rarely the case, walked with head upright and raised, showing his severe and almost august brow to the dumbfounded jeerers. Whatever might have been the weaknesses of the original colonists, their virtues have rarely been disputed. |
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