1.
rarely, seldom
Not often; used with negative verb forms to indicate that something happens infrequently.
彼は滅多に怒らない。
He rarely gets angry.
こんな機会は滅多にない。
Such an opportunity rarely comes.
滅多にない = rare, uncommon
滅多に外食しない。
I rarely eat out.
滅多に is almost always used with negative verbs (〜ない) to express that something rarely or seldom happens. It emphasizes the exceptional rarity of the action.
GRAMMAR PATTERN:
- 滅多に + negative verb: rarely does ~
- 滅多にない: is rare, seldom occurs
- 滅多にないこと: a rare occurrence
COMMON EXAMPLES:
- 滅多に怒らない (rarely gets angry)
- 滅多に外食しない (rarely eats out)
- 滅多に会えない (can rarely meet)
- こんな機会は滅多にない (such an opportunity is rare)
FREQUENCY SCALE (with negative):
- あまり〜ない: not very often (mild)
- 滅多に〜ない: rarely, seldom (strong)
- ほとんど〜ない: hardly ever, almost never (very strong)
- 全然〜ない: not at all (absolute)
NOTE:
Also written as めったに in hiragana. Can occasionally appear without negative in the related form 滅多な: 滅多なことでは〜ない (not under ordinary circumstances).