rare

noun

(gaming) A scarce or uncommon item.

verb

(US, intransitive) To rear, rise up, start backwards.

(US, transitive) To rear, bring up, raise.

adjective

Very uncommon; scarce.

(medicine, pathology) Small in number (but not unusual); infrequent; sparse.

(cooking) Particularly of meat, especially beefsteak: cooked very lightly, so the meat is still red.

(UK, slang) Good; enjoyable.

(of a gas) Thin; of low density.

(obsolete) Early.

Roots

rarusrar- · Latin · thin, sparse

Synonyms for rare

uncommonadj infrequentadj rarefiedadj unusualadj scarceadj unwontedadj seldomadv extraordinaryadj exceptionaladj uniqueadj occasionaladj peculiaradj remarkableadj atypicaladj specialadj sporadicadj unprecedentedadj

Synonyms & related words for rare

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of rare — including uncommon, infrequent, rarefied, unusual, scarce, unwonted. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to rare

Explore words related to rare — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include rarest, rarer, rarity, rareness, seldomness, uncommonness, infrequency, rarely. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for rare

Common synonyms for rare include uncommon, infrequent, rarefied, unusual, scarce, unwonted, seldom, extraordinary — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does rare come from?

The word rare breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root rar-, from Latin rarus (“thin, sparse”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.