rare
/reə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Cooked for a short time; still red inside: Used primarily to describe meat, especially beef, that is cooked quickly so the center remains red and juicy.
- Uncommon; not occurring often: Describes something that is infrequent, unusual, or seldom found.
- Of low density; thin: Describes a substance, especially a gas, that is not dense or is thin in consistency.
- Exceptionally good or of high quality: In a more informal or literary sense, describes something as excellent or remarkable.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- He ordered his steak rare. (Describes the cooking level of the meat.)
- Seeing a snow leopard in the wild is a rare event. (Describes an infrequent occurrence.)
- The air becomes rare at high altitudes. (Describes thin, low-density air.)
- She has a rare talent for music. (Describes an exceptional quality.)
Advanced Usage
- "rare bird": An unusual or exceptional person or thing.
- A true polymath is a rare bird in the modern age.
- "rare as hen's teeth": An idiom meaning extremely rare or scarce.
- Honest politicians are as rare as hen's teeth.
- "in rare form": Performing or behaving exceptionally well, often with great energy or skill.
- The comedian was in rare form last night.
Variants and Related Words
- Rarely (adverb): Not often; seldom.
- He rarely visits the city.
- Rarity (noun): The state of being rare; an uncommon or valuable item.
- This coin is a great rarity.
- Rarefied (adjective): (1) (Of air) thin in density; less dense. (2) Understood or appreciated by only a select group; esoteric.
- The rarefied atmosphere of the mountains.
- The rarefied world of academic philosophy.
Synonyms
- Infrequent: Not occurring often.
- Uncommon: Out of the ordinary; unusual.
- Scarce: Insufficient to meet demand; in short supply.
- Exceptional: Unusually good; outstanding.
Antonyms
- Common: Occurring, found, or done often.
- Frequent: Happening or occurring often.
- Well-done: (For meat) cooked thoroughly.
Notes on Different Meanings
- The meaning related to cooked meat (rare, medium-rare, well-done) is specific to culinary contexts.
- The meaning of "thin" or "low-density" (rare air) is primarily used in scientific or descriptive contexts about gases or atmospheres.
- The most common general meaning is "uncommon" or "seldom occurring."
Adjective
- (of meat) cooked a short time; still red inside
- rare roast beef
- marked by an uncommon quality; especially superlative or extreme of its kind
- what is so rare as a day in June-J.R.Lowell
- a rare skill
- an uncommon sense of humor
- she was kind to an uncommon degree
- having low density
- rare gasses
- lightheaded from the rarefied mountain air
- not widely distributed
- rare herbs
- rare patches of green in the desert
- recurring only at long intervals
- a rare appearance
- total eclipses are rare events
- not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
- a rare word
- rare books