- infrequent
- infrequent, uncommon, scarce, rare, occasional, sporadic are comparable when they mean appearing, happening, or met with so seldom as to attract attention.Something is infrequent which does not occur often, especially within a given period of time, or which does not recur except at very wide intervals of time or of space{
tornadoes are infrequent in New England
}{far from being infrequent, the crystalline state is almost universal among solids— Darrow
}{infrequent pines dot the forest
}{though it was only a few hundred miles north of Santa Fe, communication with that region was so infrequent that news traveled to Santa Fe from Europe more quickly than from Pikes Peak— Cather
}Something is uncommon which does not occur or is not found ordinarily and which therefore is singular, exceptional, or extraordinary{smallpox is now uncommon in most parts of the United States
}{in certain country districts in Europe families of fifteen are not uncommon enough to be regarded as extraordinary— Shaw
}{such muscular strength is uncommon among girls
}{a writer possessing uncommon inventive ability— A. C. Ward
}{Mr. Coates's life has not been especially eventful, but he has enjoyed it with uncommon relish— Richard Findlater
}Something is scarce which at the moment in mind is not easily found or which does not exist or is not produced in sufficient quantities{a bad harvest makes wheat scarce
}{highly skilled mechanics are now scarce
}{the Boones wanted land where deer and buffalo were numerous and men and cabins scarce—J. M. Brown
}Something is rare (see also CHOICE, THIN) of which but few examples, specimens, or instances are found; also, the term often carries such implications of uncommon as being exceptional or of extraordinary character{rare postage stamps
}{rare books and first editions
}{a perfect union of wit and judgment is one of the rarest things in the world— Burke
}{great men are scarce . . . but great biographers are positively rare— Seccombe
}{I may say again, if only rare, how this butterfly would be prized!— Jefferies
}{reported to give very indifferent wines to the rare guests he received in his grim old house— Wharton
}Something is occasional which happens or is met with merely now and then. Occasional more than any of the preceding terms implies irregularity or nonconformity to a rule or law that might govern occurrences or appearances{this was not an occasional outburst of activity; it was Wesley's routine— Crothers
}{Artemus Ward was all fun and sweet reasonableness . . ., with an occasional barb that by its unexpectedness did the more damage— Lucasy
}Something is sporadic which has no continuous existence or continuity in its manifestations and which comes into existence or occurs only in rare and, usually, isolated instances{sporadic cases of an infectious disease
}{.sporadic outbursts of opposition to high taxes
}{humanism and religion are thus, as historical facts, by no means parallel; humanism has been sporadic, but Christianity continuous— T. S. Eliot
}Antonyms: frequent
New Dictionary of Synonyms. 2014.
