It is not rare at all to live over ninety years.
Source: tatoeba (1547)
Rare
/ɹɛ/
Synonyms for "rare" (339 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (68)
Adjective(6 words)
a cut aboveaboveadmirableadulteratedaheadairyalmost unheard-ofanotherascendantat a premiumattenuateattenuatedatypicalbeguilingbetterbewilderingboyishbreakawaycappingcelebrated
Show 38 more words
cheeseparingchinchychintzychoicechosencollectableconspicuouscrudecutdaintydeficientdelectabledelicatedeliciousdeluxediaphanousdifferentdilutediluteddistinguishedeclipsingelectelegantelseeminentenigmaticesteemedestimableetherealexceedingexcellentexcellingexceptionalexiguousexquisiteextraordinaryfabulousfallen
Determiner(1 words)
a small number
Noun(2 words)
antique booksdutch uniek
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (102)
fantasticfantasticalfascinatingfewfinefine drawnfine-drawnfinerfinespunfirst-classfirst-rateflimsyfrailfreakgaseousgauzygirlishgoodgossamergracile
Show 58 more words
greaterhigherin ascendancyin short supplyin the ascendantincomparableincomprehensibleinconceivableincredibleinfrequentinsubstantialintangiblelacylightlimitedlovelylusciousmajormarkedmarvelousmatchlessmeagermemorablemiraculousmiserlymistyniceniggardlynoblenot donenot that sortnot the samenot the typenot to be hadnotablenoteworthyoccasionalof a sortof another sortof choiceof markof sortsoffbeatone up onordinaryotherother thanotherwiseout of printout of seasonout of stockout of the ordinaryout of this worldout-of-the-wayoutlandishoutstandingoverpapery
Adjective(4 words)
Noun(8 words)
Adjective(11 words)
infrequentinfrequent patternisolated componentsisolated equipmentisolated science conceptlimited availabilitylow countnot fully cookednovel approachone off tasksoutstanding
Adverb(1 words)
most glorious revolutions
Related words (169)
passing strangepeculiarpeerlessphenomenalpiddlingpoorpreciouspremiumprestigiousprodigiousprominentpuzzlingrarefiedravingrawrechercheredremarkablerememberablereputable
Show 109 more words
rivalingsaignantsalientscantscantyscarcescatteredscrimpingscrimpyseldomseldom met withseldom seenselectsensationalshortsightsignalsingularskimpingskimpyslenderslenderishslightslight-madeslimslimmishslinkyslowsmallsoddensparsespecialsporadicspottysprinkledstingystrangestrikingstupendoussubtilesubtlesui generissupersuperiorsuperlativesupernaturalsurpassingsveltesylphliketellingtenuousthinthin-bodiedthin-setthin-spunthinnedthinned-outthinnishthreadliketighttoppingtranscendenttranscendentaltranscendingunaccustomedunbakedunboileduncommonuncompactuncompresseduncookeduncustomaryundercookedunderdoneundreamed ofundreamed-ofunexpectedunfamiliarunforgettableunfrequentunheard ofunheard-ofunimaginableuniqueunordinaryunparalleledunprecedentedunsubstantialunthinkableunthought ofunthought-ofunusualunwonteduppervaguevaporouswasp waistedwasp-waistedwateredwatered downwatered-downwateryweakwillowywindywiredrawnwispywonderfulwondrous
Adjective(25 words)
preciousrarefiedrarifiedrecherchéscant numberscant turnoutscarcescarce resourcescarcerslightly underdonesmall remnant populationsparse indicatorsuncommon instanceuncommon measuresuncommon organismundercookedunfamiliar conductunique contributionunlikelyunusual
Show 5 more words
unusual caseunusual occurrenceunusual personunusual thingwild creature sighting
Noun(4 words)
species scarcityswedish skrapathe fewunique opportunity
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: uncommon, a cut above, a small number, above, admirable.
- Sentence evidence is available for rare, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "rare".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "rare"
Keep "rare" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "rare" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "rare", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "rare" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
4 entriesMore specific
7 entriesrare birdrare coinrare fossilrare gemstonerare manuscriptrare roastrare steak
Collocations
6 entriesrare birdrare bookrare diseaserare earthrare gemstonerare opportunity
Inflections
2 entriesDerivations
3 entriessimilar
6 entriesSample sentences
21 total sentences available.
It is not rare for girls today to talk as if they were boys.
Source: tatoeba (18702)
The importation of rare wild animals to this country is strictly prohibited.
Source: tatoeba (20611)
It is true; she is a rare beauty.
Source: tatoeba (21687)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "rare"?
Closest matches include uncommon, a cut above, a small number, above, admirable.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "rare"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.