滅多に|めったにmettani[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. adverbrarely; seldomwith neg. verb
   今いま、私はめったに映画えいがを見みに行いきません。↗

   Now I seldom go to the movies.

• SynonymまれNeutralAdjectival noun for 'rare, scarce' (「まれな例」); unlike 「めったに」, it works in affirmative sentences, while 「めったに」 must pair with a negative.
• SynonymたまにNeutralUsed in affirmative sentences to mean 'occasionally' (「たまに行く」); 「めったに」 takes a negative to convey 'rarely'.
• SynonymたまたまNeutralMeans 'by chance' (「たまたま会った」) and also 'occasionally'; 「めったに」 with a negative expresses 'rarely'.
• SynonymたまさかWrittenWritten/formal prose with an old-fashioned air; means 'occasionally, rarely' (「たまさかの休日」).
• Synonym時たまときたまNeutralColloquial; means 'now and then, occasionally' (「時たま雨が降る」).
• Related珍しくNeutralMeans 'unusually, for once' (「珍しく早起きした」), stressing a break from what is normal.
• AntonymしばしばWrittenWritten/formal prose for 'often, repeatedly'; the opposite of 「めったに」.
• Antonym頻繁にNeutralMeans 'frequently'; the direct opposite of 「めったに」.

Use 「めったに」 with a negative to say 'rarely' (「めったに来ない」). For 'occasionally' in affirmative sentences use 「たまに」 or 「時たま」; for 'rare' use 「まれ」; for 'by chance' use 「たまたま」. The opposite is 「頻繁に」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. （打消うちけしの語ごを伴ともなって）非常ひじょうに頻度ひんどの少すくないさま。