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Merely vs Rarely - What's the difference?

merely | rarely |

As adverbs the difference between merely and rarely

is that merely is wholly, entirely while rarely is not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often.

merely

English

Adverb

(-)
  • (obsolete) Wholly, entirely.
  • * 1644 , (John Milton), Aeropagitica :
    • It is not forgot, since the acute and distinct Arminius'' was perverted meerly by the perusing of a namelesse discourse writt'n at ''Delf , which at first he took in hand to confute.
  • (focus) Without any other reason etc.; only, just, and nothing more.

    • Statistics

    *

    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