1
general::
adj. VERBS be, seem | become, get | remain ADV. decidedly, distinctly, especially, exceedingly, exceptionally, extremely, particularly, surprisingly, very | increasingly | comparatively, fairly, pretty, quite, rather, relatively, somewhat | enough, sufficiently The stamps were not rare enough to be interesting.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
rare
not existing in large numbers or in large amounts:
• The law prevents the export of rare birds. • The plates are quite rare. Only about a hundred were made.
scarce
not available in large enough numbers or amounts at a particular time – used especially about things people need:
• After the war, food and clothing were scarce. • People are having to compete for scarce resources.
not common
[ not before noun ] fairly rare:
• Silver coins of this period are not common, and could be very valuable.
infrequent
formal not happening often:
• As time went on, her visits became more and more infrequent.
be few and far between
to not be common – especially much less common than you might expect:
• Luckily, accidents such as these are few and far between. • Bargains are, unfortunately, few and far between.
be (something of) a rarity
if something or someone is a rarity, it is surprising to find one, because very few exist:
• Women are still something of a rarity in senior management positions.
be like hen’s teeth
informal to be extremely rare:
• Good Greek restaurants are like hen’s teeth around here.
Longman-Thesaurus