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Antonyms for rare


Grammar : Adj
Spell : rair
Phonetic Transcription : rɛər



Definition of rare

Origin :
  • "unusual," late 14c., "thin, airy, porous;" mid-15c., "few in number and widely separated, sparsely distributed, seldom found;" from Old French rere "sparse" (14c.), from Latin rarus "thinly sown, having a loose texture; not thick; having intervals between, full of empty spaces," from PIE *ra-ro-, from root *ere- "to separate; adjoin" (cf. Sanskrit rte "besides, except," viralah "distant, tight, rare;" Old Church Slavonic rediku "rare," Old Hittite arhaš "border," Lithuanian irti "to be dissolved"). "Few in number," hence, "unusual." Related: Rareness. In chemistry, rare earth is from 1818.
  • adj exceptional, infrequent
  • adj precious, excellent
  • adj not fully cooked
Example sentences :
  • Yet he was a rare man, such as few meet with in the course of a lifetime.
  • Extract from : « Biographical Sketches » by Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Mary was standing rigid now, and the rare color flamed in her cheeks.
  • Extract from : « Within the Law » by Marvin Dana
  • In his fight with Cloten he is depicted as a rare swordsman of wonderful magnanimity.
  • Extract from : « The Man Shakespeare » by Frank Harris
  • Kisses were rare in the staid little household to which she belonged.
  • Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • Sidney was experiencing the rare treat of after-dinner coffee.
  • Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • Demonstrations of affection were so rare with him that for a moment Dr. Ed was puzzled.
  • Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • Rare, indeed, is it to find a deserving peasant without them in France!
  • Extract from : « The Roof of France » by Matilda Betham-Edwards
  • The schoolboys marvelled and exclaimed; for such a snow-fall was rare in France.
  • Extract from : « The Boy Life of Napoleon » by Eugenie Foa
  • The rare loveliness of the scene touched and lightened my heart.
  • Extract from : « Green Mansions » by W. H. Hudson
  • The jury looked at each other with amazement; such scenes were rare in their experience.
  • Extract from : « The Underdog » by F. Hopkinson Smith

Synonyms for rare

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019