RARE: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for RARE?

Need another word that means the same as “rare”? Find 44 synonyms and 30 related words for “rare” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Rare” are: uncommon, rarefied, rarified, infrequent, few and far between, scarce, sparse, scattered, thin on the ground, golden, like gold dust, unusual, unfamiliar, out of the ordinary, atypical, singular, remarkable, recherché, special, precious, exceptional, outstanding, unparalleled, peerless, matchless, unique, unequalled, incomparable, unrivalled, inimitable, without equal, second to none, unsurpassed, surpassing, exquisite, superb, consummate, superior, superlative, first-class, first-rate, choice, excellent, very fine

Rare as an Adjective

Definitions of "Rare" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “rare” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

  • Marked by an uncommon quality; especially superlative or extreme of its kind.
  • Unusually good or remarkable.
  • Marked by an uncommon quality; especially superlative or extreme of its kind-J.R.Lowell.
  • (of an event, situation, or condition) not occurring very often.
  • Not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness.
  • (of a thing) not found in large numbers and so of interest or value.
  • Having low density.
  • (of meat) cooked a short time; still red inside.
  • Recurring only at long intervals.
  • Cooked a short time; still red inside.
  • Not widely distributed.

Synonyms of "Rare" as an adjective (44 Words)

atypicalNot representative of a group, class, or type.
A sample of people who are rather atypical of the target audience.
choice(especially of food) of very good quality.
He picked some choice early plums.
consummatePerfect and complete in every respect; having all necessary qualities.
She dressed with consummate elegance.
excellentVery good;of the highest quality.
The lorry was in excellent condition.
exceptionalSurpassing what is common or usual or expected.
Late claims will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.
exquisiteIntense or sharp.
Felt exquisite pleasure.
few and far betweenA quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `a’; a small but indefinite number.
first-classVery good;of the highest quality.
first-rateOf the highest quality.
goldenSupremely favored.
Curls of glossy golden hair.
incomparableWithout an equal in quality or extent; matchless.
The incomparable beauty of Venice.
infrequentNot frequent; not occurring regularly or at short intervals.
Her visits were so infrequent.
inimitableDefying imitation; matchless.
They took the charts by storm with their inimitable style.
like gold dustHaving the same or similar characteristics.
matchlessEminent beyond or above comparison.
Matchless beauty.
out of the ordinaryOuter or outlying.
outstandingOwed as a debt.
An outstanding war record.
peerlessEminent beyond or above comparison.
A peerless scholar.
preciousGreatly loved or treasured by someone.
A precious lot you know about dogs.
rarefiedHaving low density.
Lightheaded from the rarefied mountain air.
rarifiedOf high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style- Oliver Franks.
recherchéLavishly elegant and refined.
remarkableWorthy of attention; striking.
A remarkable achievement.
scarce(especially of food, money, or some other resource) insufficient for the demand.
Fresh vegetables were scarce during the drought.
scattered(of electromagnetic radiation or particles) deflected or diffused.
The forecast is for scattered showers.
second to noneA part or voice or instrument or orchestra section lower in pitch than or subordinate to the first.
singularRelating to or of the nature of singularity.
The third person singular form of the verb.
sparseScanty; in short supply.
Information on earnings is sparse.
specialUsed to denote education for children with particular needs especially those with learning difficulties.
The special features of a computer.
superbUsed in names of birds with attractive or colourful plumage e g superb lyrebird.
A superb actor.
superiorOf high or superior quality or performance.
He is superior to fear.
superlativeHighest in quality.
A superlative piece of skill.
surpassingExceeding or surpassing usual limits especially in excellence.
A picture of surpassing beauty.
thin on the groundLacking spirit or sincere effort.
uncommonMarked by an uncommon quality especially superlative or extreme of its kind.
Frost and floods are uncommon during these months.
unequalledRadically distinctive and without equal.
Trout of unequalled quality.
unfamiliarNot known or well known.
A name unfamiliar to most.
uniqueBeing the only one of its kind; unlike anything else.
A species unique to Australia.
unparalleledHaving no parallel or equal; exceptional.
The sudden rise in unemployment is unparalleled in the post war period.
unrivalledBetter than everyone or everything of the same type.
The paper s coverage of foreign news is unrivalled.
unsurpassedNot capable of being improved on.
The quality of workmanship is unsurpassed.
unusualNot usual or common or ordinary.
A man of unusual ability.
very finePrecisely as stated.
without equalHaving the same quantity, value, or measure as another.

Usage Examples of "Rare" as an adjective

  • He plays with rare sensitivity.
  • Rare gasses.
  • A rare word.
  • Lightheaded from the rarefied mountain air.
  • A rare genetic disorder.
  • What is so rare as a day in June.
  • Rare roast beef.
  • Rare herbs.
  • Total eclipses are rare events.
  • A rare appearance.
  • A rare skill.
  • Rare patches of green in the desert.
  • It's rare to see a house so little altered.
  • Rare books.
  • One of Britain's rarest birds, the honey buzzard.

Associations of "Rare" (30 Words)

anymoreAt the present or from now on; usually used with a negative.
Alice doesn t live here anymore.
barelyOnly just; almost not.
She barely seemed to notice him.
collectable(of an item) worth collecting; of interest to a collector.
The auction attracted professional dealers trading in quality small collectables.
curioSomething unusual — perhaps worthy of collecting.
They had such fun over the wonderful box of curios that Jack had sent from India.
episodicOccurring occasionally and at irregular intervals.
Episodic television is a difficult medium to write for.
exceptionalDeviating widely from a norm of physical or mental ability; used especially of children below normal in intelligence.
A child of exceptional ability.
frequentlyRegularly or habitually; often.
They go abroad frequently.
hardlyOnly a very short time before.
I nodded hardly able to breath.
infrequentNot occurring often; rare.
Her visits were so infrequent.
infrequentlyNot many times.
A storage area for infrequently used items.
intermittentOccurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
Intermittent rain showers.
occasionalRecurring or reappearing from time to time.
Occasional headaches.
occasionallyAt infrequent or irregular intervals; now and then.
Open areas are only occasionally interrupted by clumps of trees.
oddityEccentricity that is not easily explained.
Realizing the oddity of the remark he retracted it.
oftenFrequently or in great quantities.
Vocabulary often reflects social standing.
oftentimesFrequently; many times.
Sensory processing is oftentimes a challenge for someone with ASD.
rarelyNot often.
I rarely drive above 50 mph.
rarenessNoteworthy scarcity.
raritySomething unusual — perhaps worthy of collecting.
To take the morning off was a rarity.
scantWork hastily or carelessly; deal with inadequately and superficially.
The press regularly scants a host of issues relating to safety and health.
scantyWomen’s skimpy knickers or pants.
The women looked cold in their scanty bodices.
scarceScarcely.
He was scarce sixteen years old.
seldomNot often.
A great but seldom pleasure.
sometimesOn certain occasions or in certain cases but not always.
Sometimes I want to do things on my own.
sparseNot dense.
Areas of sparse population.
sporadicOccurring at irregular intervals or only in a few places; scattered or isolated.
Sporadic fighting broke out.
sporadicallyIn a sporadic manner.
The comedy is only sporadically funny.
uncommonMarked by an uncommon quality especially superlative or extreme of its kind.
Prostate cancer is not uncommon in men over 60.
uncommonlyExceptionally; very.
He is an uncommonly good talker.
unusualBeing definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird.
The government has taken the unusual step of calling home its ambassador.

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