rare

/reə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /rer/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈrer/ (ame, mw)

rare — 形容詞

  • rarepositive
  • rarercomparative
  • rarestsuperlative

1. Something that does not happen often, is not found in large numbers, or is not s

1.形容詞A2
釋義

罕見的

不常發生或不常見的

Something that does not happen often, is not found in large numbers, or is not seen in many places.

例句

Snow is rare in southern Taiwan, so the children were thrilled when it fell on the mountain tops.

臺灣南部很少下雪，所以當雪花飄落在山頂時，孩子們興奮極了。

it is rare + location/context, showing low frequency

Asher collects rare coins from the Qing dynasty and keeps them in a special box.

Asher 收集清朝的稀有錢幣，把它們放在一個特別的盒子裡。

attributive use: rare + noun (object of collecting)

同義詞
  • uncommon

    neutral synonym; 'rare' suggests greater scarcity

  • scarce

    emphasises insufficient quantity; often used for resources

  • infrequent

    focuses on how seldom something happens rather than overall quantity

反義詞
  • common

    direct opposite; something that happens often or is found everywhere

  • frequent

    opposite for events; happens many times

文法句型

rare + noun

be rare

it is rare (for someone) to do something

用法筆記

Frequently modified by intensifiers such as 'very', 'extremely', 'increasingly', and 'quite'. The pattern 'it is rare (for someone) to do something' is common in both speech and writing.

常見錯誤

❌This flower is very rare seen in the city.
✅This flower is rarely seen in the city.
💡'rare' is an adjective; use 'rarely' (adverb) before past participles.
❌It is rare that he comes here.' (acceptable but less natural)
✅It is rare for him to come here.
💡'it is rare for + noun + to-infinitive' is the preferred pattern in everyday English.

2. Unusually good or impressive in a way that makes someone or something stand out

2.形容詞B2
釋義

卓越的

品質非凡、與眾不同的

Unusually good or impressive in a way that makes someone or something stand out from others.

例句

The young pianist has a rare talent for expressing emotion through her playing.

那位年輕鋼琴家擁有透過演奏表達情感的卓越才華。

rare talent — fixed collocation for exceptional ability

Diya's grandfather had a rare gift for fixing old clocks without any modern tools.

Diya 的祖父有一種非凡的天賦，不用任何現代工具就能修理老舊的時鐘。

rare gift — natural ability that stands out

同義詞
  • exceptional

    more formal; directly states the high quality

  • remarkable

    emphasises that something is worth noticing

  • distinctive

    focuses on the quality that makes someone or something different

反義詞
  • ordinary

    without special qualities; not standing out

  • mediocre

    of only average quality; somewhat negative

文法句型

rare + abstract noun (talent, beauty, skill, gift)

用法筆記

In this sense 'rare' modifies abstract nouns describing admirable qualities. Unlike sense 1, it does NOT mean 'infrequent'; it means 'remarkable in degree'. Frequently paired with: talent, beauty, courage, skill, gift, intelligence.

常見錯誤

❌She is a rare doctor.' (unclear — do you mean uncommon or excellent?)
✅She is a doctor of rare skill.
💡use a quality noun after 'of rare' to make the meaning clear.
❌This is a rare chance.' (ambiguous — could be about frequency or quality)
✅This is a rare opportunity to learn from a master.
💡add context showing the quality, not just scarcity.

3. Red meat that has been heated briefly on the outside while the centre remains re

3.形容詞B1
釋義

三分熟的

肉類內部仍呈紅色的

Red meat that has been heated briefly on the outside while the centre remains reddish, tender, and juicy.

例句

Élise ordered her steak rare, with a side of roasted vegetables and a glass of red wine.

Élise 點了三分熟的牛排，搭配烤蔬菜和一杯紅酒。

predicative: order + noun + rare

The chef recommends serving the lamb rare so that the natural flavour of the meat stays strong.

主廚建議羊肉烤到三分熟，這樣肉的自然風味才能完整保留。

serve + noun + rare — common pattern at restaurants

同義詞
  • underdone

    broader term; can sound negative or imply insufficient cooking

  • bloody

    informal British term; not used in polite restaurant settings

反義詞

文法句型

be rare (predicative)

rare + noun (steak, meat, lamb, beef)

用法筆記

This sense applies only to red meat (beef, lamb, venison) and tuna. It is never used for chicken, pork, or fish other than tuna. The doneness scale for steak is: blue → rare → medium-rare → medium → medium-well → well-done.

常見錯誤

❌I ordered my chicken rare.
✅I ordered my steak rare.
💡never use 'rare' for chicken or pork; they must be cooked through for safety.

❌ 'The steak was very rare.' (acceptable for intensity) — more naturally: 'The steak was cooked rare.' or 'The steak was quite rare.' — 'cooked rare' is the most common pattern.

4. Air that contains less oxygen than normal because it is high above sea level, ma

4.形容詞C1
釋義

稀薄的

高海拔含氧量低的空氣

Air that contains less oxygen than normal because it is high above sea level, making physical activity very tiring.

例句

At the base camp on Mount Everest, the rare air made even simple tasks feel exhausting.

在聖母峰的大本營，稀薄的空氣讓即使是簡單的工作也變得令人筋疲力竭。

attributive: rare + air — the most common pattern

The climbers had to stop every few steps to catch their breath in the thin, rare atmosphere of the Andes.

在安地斯山脈稀薄的大氣中，登山者每走幾步就得停下來喘口氣。

rare + atmosphere — alternative noun; 'thin' often co-occurs

同義詞
  • thin

    the everyday synonym; 'thin air' is much more common than 'rare air'

  • low-oxygen

    technical term used in physiology and mountaineering

反義詞
  • dense

    air containing more oxygen; found at or near sea level

  • heavy

    informal opposite; air that feels thick and rich in oxygen

文法句型

rare + noun (air, atmosphere)

用法筆記

Now somewhat literary or technical. In everyday conversation, speakers usually say 'thin air' instead of 'rare air'. This sense is almost exclusively attributive — you will not hear 'The air is rare today.'

5. Used before a noun to emphasise that something is an excellent or extreme exampl

5.形容詞B2
釋義

極度的

修飾名詞，強調程度極高

Used before a noun to emphasise that something is an excellent or extreme example of its kind, often in fixed, friendly expressions.

例句

We had a rare old time at the street party, with live music and dancing until midnight.

我們在街頭派對上玩得痛快極了，有現場音樂表演，還跳舞跳到半夜。

fixed expression: a rare old time

The homemade chocolate cake was a rare treat that the children talked about for days.

自製巧克力蛋糕是一大享受，孩子們好幾天都在談論它。

fixed expression: a rare treat

同義詞
  • absolute

    stronger and more neutral in register; works in any variety of English

  • sheer

    similar intensifying function; 'sheer delight' is a common alternative

  • proper

    British informal; 'a proper treat' means the same thing

文法句型

rare + noun (treat, delight, fun, old time)

用法筆記

Mostly British English, and largely confined to a small set of fixed expressions: 'a rare treat', 'a rare delight', 'a rare old time', 'a rare laugh'. These are used in friendly, conversational contexts to show enthusiasm.

常見錯誤

❌We had rare fun at the party.' (sounds odd)
✅We had a rare old time at the party.
💡the fixed phrase needs 'old' to sound natural.
❌That was a rare good movie.
✅That movie was a rare treat.
💡'rare' precedes a noun (treat), not an adjective (good).