Definitions
01uncommon
B1 · Intermediate
adj. not happening often or not found in many places.
adj. occurring or found very infrequently; characterized by scarcity or uniqueness.
日本語:珍しい※
“It is very rare to see snow in this part of the country during October.”
“The museum recently acquired a rare first edition of the manuscript, one of only three known copies to have survived the fire.”
02cooking meat
B1 · Intermediate Cooking
adj. meat that has been cooked for a short time and is still red inside.
adj. referring to meat, particularly beef, cooked briefly so that the interior remains red and moist.
日本語:レア※
“I would like my steak rare, please, with a side of roasted vegetables.”
“The chef recommends serving this specific cut of Wagyu rare to preserve the delicate texture and fat distribution of the meat.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03thin or low density
C1 · Advanced Science Technical
adj. used to describe air that is thin and has less oxygen, usually high up.
adj. having low density or being thin in consistency; most frequently applied to the atmosphere at high altitudes.
“The air is so rare at the top of the mountain that it is hard to breathe.”
“Climbers often require supplemental oxygen when ascending into the rare atmosphere of the 'death zone' above eight thousand metres.”
04excellent
C2 · Proficiency British English · Slang
adj. really good or enjoyable.
adj. denoting high quality or excellence; used as a positive intensifier in specific regional dialects.
“We had a rare time at the party last night.”
“The local supporters were in rare form after the match, celebrating their team's unexpected victory well into the night.”
05to be eager
B2 · Upper Intermediate Informal
v. to be very excited and ready to start doing something.
v. to be full of enthusiasm or eagerness to begin an activity; almost exclusively used in the present participle 'raring'.
“After a long holiday, the staff were raring to go on the new project.”
“Despite the early hour, the young athletes appeared raring to go, bouncing on their toes as they waited for the starting whistle.”
Usage
Almost always appears in the phrase 'raring to go'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “rare” in context.
Verb
01. become increasingly rare
“Traditional hand-made toys have become increasingly rare in modern shops.”
verb + adv + adj
02. order the steak rare
“He always orders his steak rare because he likes the meat very tender.”
verb + noun + adj
Adjective
03. rare opportunity
“Studying abroad was a rare opportunity that she couldn't miss.”
adj + noun
04. extremely rare
“It is extremely rare to see this species of bird in the city.”
adv + adj
Noun
05. rare breed of dog
“They own a very rare breed of dog that originally came from Hungary.”
adj + noun + of + noun
06. rare cases
07. rare glimpse
08. rare chance
09. rare earth
10. rare event
11. rare public
12. rare species
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Idioms
01. rare animal
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/rare
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0