English English Dictionary

English - English

rarely in English:

1. once in a blue moon


They ate in the dining room once in a blue moon.
I go to the cinema once in a blue moon.
We only see each other once in a blue moon. We should meet more often!
They call me once in a blue moon.
It only happens like this once in a blue moon.
I visit my parents once in a blue moon
My sister lives in Alaska, so I only see her once in a blue moon.
Due to the nature of my work, I get a holiday once in a blue moon, roughly once a year if I’m lucky.
He buys me flowers once in a blue moon
They come to visit us once in a blue moon.
He still writes, but only once in a blue moon.
I only see my cousins once in a blue moon.
Eating out is so expensive that we do it only once in a blue moon.
Tom comes to see his sister once in a blue moon.
He does jogging once in a blue moon. He definitely prefers working out in a gym.

English word "rarely"(once in a blue moon) occurs in sets:

CAE End of year vocab list

2. hardly


When I was a kid, touching bugs didn't bother me a bit. Now I can hardly stand looking at pictures of them.
Hardly a day passes that I don't think of you.
hardly ever
However, apart from Buddhists, hardly anyone can consistently follow this principle.
It can hardly be called research... just an amateur's hobby, I'm ashamed to say.
However, his girlfriend is selfish and hardly worries about Brian.
Goods are the great travelers over the earth's surface, far more than humans, which means that hardly an inhabited spot on the globe is untouched by trade.
Prof. K is going to be a major attraction at this event right? I can hardly wait.
We sped into the narrow track, hardly dropping any speed. "It's a short cut!" "Oi! It's a footpath!!"
The traditional way of learning a language may satisfy at most one's sense of duty, but it can hardly serve as a source of joy. Nor will it likely be successful.
If it's a request from you, I'm hardly likely to be able to turn you down flat.
While you can hardly move, they're running around having all kinds of fun.
The little house, in which he lived, was hardly bigger than a hut.
But Emma was hardly listening. She had started to plan her part in trapping the Mexican.

3. present simple


We usually use the present simple with these expressions: normally, every day, often, sometimes, frequently, usually.

4. never


Let's face it, it's impossible. We're never gonna make it.
Never tell lies.
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
If you ever come back to me, I'll never treat you badly again.
I'm not going out on a limb for you because you never helped me before.
Having a few extra batteries handy is never a bad idea.
The older I get, the more clearly I remember things that never happened.
I never see a library without wishing I had time to go there and stay till I had read everything in it.
I have not heard from you. I was wondering if maybe my mail never got to you.
Tom's an irritating person to work with because he'll never admit it when he's made a mistake.
Tom is used to driving a pickup truck, but he's never driven one of those really big trucks.
You can't eat chicken? How do you know if you never try it?
Never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it.
I would like to leave this town and never come back.
Dr. Zamenhof believed that a language belongs to the people who speak it which is why he never copyrighted Esperanto.

5. seldom


My son seldom
In our country we seldom open gifts in the presence of the giver.
A fat man seldom dislikes anybody very hard or for very long.
Barter, however, was a very unsatisfactory system because people's needs seldom matched exactly.
If you always travel by subway, you seldom surface other than at your stop.
The trouble with him is that he is seldom punctual.
I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one.
Such a man does not go hunting and seldom owns a gun.
Living, as I do, in the country, I seldom have visitors.
Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.
Advice is seldom welcome, and those who need it the most, like it the least.
People are most angry when they feel they are being mocked. That's why those who are confident in themselves seldom become angry.
It is a matter of common knowledge that a man of genius is seldom successful in his own lifetime.
My grandmother used to go out for a walk almost every day, but now she seldom, if ever, goes out.
Seldom have human beings experienced such a disaster.

6. rare


rare birds
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts, Of beauty rich and rare; In history’s page let every stage, Advance Australia Fair!
Complete agreement between theory and practice is a rare case.
Rare gems include aquamarine, amethyst, emerald, quartz and ruby.
My haircut only cost 1,000 yen. That's pretty rare these days. He probably didn't have a license.
It's rare that history comes with a man that his fear is set in the hearts of kings all around earth.
If we don't make the utmost effort to protect the rainforests, many of the rare species in them will become extinct.
Every rare thing is expensive, besides a cheap horse is rare, therefore a cheap horse is expensive.
We only meet on the rare occasions when one of our friends has birthday.
1. In rare cases, they may last a day or two. 2. It's rare to see sth like this.
Colourful zebras are rare these days so you'll be lucky to see them
Snow is a rare sight in Spain. / 2. I know, but it's a rare item and rare items cost a lot. / 3. Humility and humor, a rare combination. / 4. You have a rare, natural talent. / 5. You have a rare beauty, Ann.
a rare feeling when you do not run after a bus, you just wait for it like regular people
Send them to distant lands to seek some rare treasure. This is a rare vintage from an obscure village in Bordeaux.