Synonym Chooser

How is the word uncommon distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of uncommon are infrequent, rare, scarce, and sporadic. While all these words mean "not common or abundant," uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

When could infrequent be used to replace uncommon?

In some situations, the words infrequent and uncommon are roughly equivalent. However, infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

When would rare be a good substitute for uncommon?

The words rare and uncommon are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

When is it sensible to use scarce instead of uncommon?

While in some cases nearly identical to uncommon, scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

In what contexts can sporadic take the place of uncommon?

The words sporadic and uncommon can be used in similar contexts, but sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of uncommon Leaders need uncommon levels of physical and mental stamina — and not in short bursts, but continuously. Suzy Welch, CNBC, 17 June 2025 To reach Mars, future astronauts will need to maintain uncommon levels of cheer in situations both terrifying and boring. Erin Berger, The Atlantic, 17 June 2025 People should also realize that, according to the American Psychological Association, violent acts are relatively uncommon among people with serious mental illnesses. Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2025 Disagreeing with your boss is not uncommon, but there are ways to make your criticism stick without involving others—in this case, the American public. Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for uncommon
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncommon
Adjective
  • Now, another unusual way to grab hiring managers attention is going viral: Sneaking your resume into a box of donuts.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 20 June 2025
  • Three corners of the brownie remained in tact, but the missing chunk from the center has left the brownie looking pretty unusual, sparking plenty of amused comments from viewers.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • And years after contracting measles, people can later develop subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE, a rare but fatal complication resulting from a weakened form of the virus remaining in the body, and later infecting the brain.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
  • So in our history, this is very rare, and the localization of that kind of violence, to me, is what’s different and new in many ways about this.
    Fiction Non Fiction June 26, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The book chronicles Rajamani’s extraordinary survival from a massive brain hemorrhage at age 25, tackling themes of disability, race, and cultural taboos.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 June 2025
  • These bargain hunters will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to find a deal.
    Linnea Geiss, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • This film is set entirely inside a taxi cab that Panahi is driving around Tehran, as different people drift in and out of his car with their own strange and very personal dramas.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
  • The night before the baby junco landed in the research team’s net, a strange, shifting light filtered through the forest, not far from where the Long Trail, Vermont’s end-to-end hiking route, traverses the Mount Mansfield ridgeline.
    Madeline Bodin, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • On the pitching side, Tampa Bay’s greatest advantage has been exceptional durability.
    Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • Danny Boyle is a director known for his exceptional use of music to score key — and now iconic — scenes in his films.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • McGrath's older brother and two of her younger sisters described her as funny, sarcastic, full of life and so caring that the homeless in her neighborhood greeted her by name.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 25 June 2025
  • Much like his character, Boyce is mild-mannered, kind and effortlessly funny.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Unlike traditional computing, which processes information in binary sequences, quantum computing harnesses the unique properties of quantum mechanics—superposition, entanglement and tunneling—to process complex information in entirely new ways.
    Markus Pflitsch, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • Who wouldn’t want content that’s relevant to their unique interests instead of a mess of irrelevant junk?
    Andrew Luttrell, Time, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Sometimes your audio is all screwed up and echoing, there are weird pauses everywhere, and nothing interesting gets said.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Now its being noted online and by The New York Post that Barry star Bill Hader had a weird day with Kove.
    Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Uncommon.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncommon. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on uncommon

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