rare

choice, exquisite, elegant, rare, delicate, dainty mean having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste. choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind.

• • choice fabric

exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste.

• • an exquisite gold bracelet

elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste.

• • a sumptuous but elegant dining room

rare suggests an uncommon excellence.

• • rare beauty

delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility.

• • delicate craftsmanship

dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate.

• • dainty sandwiches

infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, sporadic mean not common or abundant. infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

• • infrequent family visits

uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

• • smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

• • jobs were scarce during the Depression

rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

• • rare first editions

sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

• • sporadic cases of influenza

rare, scarce, and uncommon mean being in short supply. rare is usually used for an object or quality of which only a few examples are to be found and which is therefore especially appreciated.

• • He found a rare gem.

scarce is used for something that for a while is in short supply.

• • Food was scarce that winter.

uncommon can be used of anything which is not often found, but usually there is no suggestion that more is desired or needed.

• • Identical twins are uncommon.