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Rarely vs Lack - What's the difference?

rarely | lack |

As an adverb rarely

is not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.

As a verb lack is

.

rarely

English

Adverb

(en adverb)
  • Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.
    • We rarely go to the theatre.
    Rarely do you ever find an eagle this far up the river.
  • Unusually well; excellently.
  • To a rare degree; very.
  • *, II.32:
    • others speake very honourably of his life and death, and in all other circumstances declare him to have beene a most excellent and rarely virtuous man.

    Usage notes

    It is grammatically a negative word. It therefore collocates with ever rather than never. * Compare We rarely ever go to the theatre.'' with ''We almost never go to the theatre.

    Synonyms

    * barely * hardly * infrequently * once in a while * seldom * sporadically * scarcely

    Antonyms

    * frequently, usually, often

    References

    * * English frequency adverbs

    lack

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A defect or failing; moral or spiritual degeneracy.
  • *
    • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.}}
  • A deficiency or need (of something desirable or necessary); an absence, want.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Let his lack of years be no impediment.
  • * 1994 , (Green Day),
    • I went to a shrink, to analyze my dreams. He said it's lack of sex that's bringing me down.''
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=September 7, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Moldova 0-5 England , passage=If Moldova harboured even the slightest hopes of pulling off a comeback that would have bordered on miraculous given their lack of quality, they were snuffed out 13 minutes before the break when Oxlade-Chamberlain picked his way through midfield before releasing Defoe for a finish that should have been dealt with more convincingly by Namasco at his near post.}}

    Antonyms

    * glut * surplus

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be without, to need, to require.
    • My life lacks excitement.
  • To be short (of'' or ''for something).
    • He'll never lack for company while he's got all that money.
  • * Shakespeare
    • What hour now? I think it lacks of twelve.
  • To be in want.
  • * Bible, Psalms xxxiv. 10
    • The young lions do lack , and suffer hunger.

    Related terms

    * lackluster

    Anagrams

    * ----