adj

rare

reh-uh

adj

Not common; found or happening only occasionally.

"A total solar eclipse is a rare sight."

"It's rare for him to arrive late."

Of meat: cooked only briefly, so the inside stays red and juicy.

"He ordered his steak rare."

"Rare steak is still cool and red in the middle."

How to Use Rare

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishNot seen or happening very often — or, for meat, barely cooked.

Common mistake

Don't confuse the cooking sense (rare steak, barely cooked) with "medium" or "well done," which mean more thoroughly cooked.

Common pairings

a rare occurrence rare steak rare disease a rare opportunity

Word Forms

rarer comparative, rarer comparative, more rare comparative, more rare comparative, rared past tense, rares plural, rares singular, rarest superlative, rarest superlative, most rare superlative, most rare superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “rare” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

A total solar eclipse is a _____ sight.

Etymology

From Latin rarus, "thin, spaced apart, infrequent" — the idea of things being spread far apart gave us the modern sense of "uncommon."

Synonyms

View more →

dearthy few and far between geason infrequent in short supply raresome scant scantling scarce selcouth seld seldom

Antonyms

common widespread

Related Words

abundant broadcast common generic unholy strange special widespread

Rhymes for rare

are dare care hare mare fare bare ware gare share snare stare

See all rhymes for rare →

People Also Searched

dearthy few and far between geason infrequent in short supply raresome scant scantling scarce selcouth seld seldom