seldom

[sel-duhm] / ˈsɛl dəm /

ADVERB

infrequently

Synonyms

STRONGEST

a few times hardly occasionally rarely scarcely sometimes sporadically

WEAK

every now and then from time to time hardly ever in a few cases inhabitually irregularly little not often not very often on and off once in a blue moon once in a while scarcely ever semioccasionally uncommonly unoften unusually whimsically

Antonyms

STRONGEST

frequently regularly

WEAK

often usually

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His events are small and seldom announced in advance.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Steyer’s work began at 5 a.m. in the office and he seldom took days off — he fretted he wouldn’t have time for a honeymoon.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Paylor’s firm seldom participates in closed-end fund IPOs but is this time around.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

But Morgan Stanley’s Mike Wilson suggests a lot of these concerns are already baked into today’s market price, which is why it seldom pays to wait too long to get involved.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

This happened so seldom that it was always an occasion, and to round it off we would go to the tannery to see our sons.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Vocabulary lists containing seldom

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

The Crossover

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

List 7

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!