1. (a.) Early.

2. (superl.) Nearly raw; partially cooked; not thoroughly cooked; underdone; as, rare beef or mutton.

3. (superl.) Not frequent; seldom met with or occurring; unusual; as, a rare event.

4. (superl.) of an uncommon nature; unusually excellent; valuable to a degree seldom found.

5. (superl.) Thinly scattered; dispersed.

6. (superl.) Characterized by wide separation of parts; of loose texture; not thick or dense; thin; as, a rare atmosphere at high elevations.

a cut above above admirable adulterated ahead airy almost unheard-of another ascendant at a premium attenuate attenuated atypical beguiling better bewildering boyish breakaway capping celebrated cheeseparing chinchy chintzy choice chosen collectable conspicuous crude cut dainty delicate diaphanous dilute diluted distinguished eclipsing elegant else eminent enigmatic esteemed estimable ethereal exceeding excellent excelling exceptional exiguous exquisite extraordinary fabulous fallen fantastic fascinating few fine fine-drawn finer finespun first-class first-rate flimsy frail gaseous gauzy girlish good gossamer gracile greater higher in ascendancy in short supply in the ascendant incomparable incomprehensible inconceivable incredible infrequent insubstantial lacy light limited major marked marvelous matchless meager memorable miraculous miserly misty noble not done not that sort not the same not the type notable noteworthy occasional of a sort of another sort of choice of mark of sorts offbeat one up on other other than otherwise out of print out of season out of stock outlandish outstanding over papery passing strange peculiar peerless phenomenal piddling poor prestigious prodigious prominent puzzling rarefied raw recherche red remarkable rememberable reputable rivaling saignant salient scant scanty scarce scattered scrimping scrimpy seldom seldom met with seldom seen select sensational signal singular skimping skimpy slender slenderish slight slight-made slim slimmish slinky slow small sodden sparse special sporadic spotty sprinkled stingy strange striking stupendous subtile subtle sui generis super superior superlative surpassing svelte sylphlike telling tenuous thin thin-bodied thin-set thin-spun thinned thinned-out thinnish threadlike tight topping transcendent transcendental transcending unbaked unboiled uncommon uncompact uncompressed uncooked uncustomary undercooked underdone undreamed-of unexpected unfamiliar unforgettable unfrequent unheard-of unimaginable unique unordinary unparalleled unprecedented unsubstantial unthinkable unthought-of unusual unwonted upper vague vaporous wasp-waisted watered watered-down watery weak willowy windy wiredrawn wispy wonderful wondrous