Dictionary

few and far between en · ADJ

Pronunciation

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Etymology

Attested at least since the 17th century. Was originally reserved for physical objects, such as houses, appearing with wide gaps between, but today it is also applied to more abstract things. Being rare also implies that the average gaps between the objects are wide.

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) Rare and scarce; hard to find.
   • There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, and I have met several lamas, notably the Phodong Lama of Sikhim and others like him, men who were thoroughly capable, who acted up to their principles, and whom I thoroughly respected, but I am sorry to say such men were few and far between. 1909, John Claude White, Sikhim and Bhutan, page 15:
   • On a line like the Santa Fe, in such desert country as that on the Chicago-Los Angeles main line through Arizona and New Mexico, stations are few and far between, and at many of them one or two employees are the only permanent staff. 1950 May, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 300:
   • As with other railways, more Mk 1s are urgently required but disposals by BR are few and far between at present. 1979 August, Michael Harris, “A line for all reasons: the North Yorkshire Moors Railway”, in Railway World, page 414:
   • The gear change never happened and although chances were few and far between in the second half it looked like below-par Arsenal would escape the DW Stadium with three points - especially when N'Zogbia was sent off with 12 minutes to play. 2010 December 29, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal”, in BBC:

Forms

Antonyms

abundant · far and wide · widespread · thick on the ground · common · ubiquitous

Relateds

thick and fast

Synonyms

uncommon · selcouth · thin on the ground · raresome · infrequent · wanting · superrare · scarce · seld · rare · rare · unfrequent · scant · scantling · non-common · dearthy · geason · in short supply · in short supply · seldom · uncommon · few and far between · selly · deficient · lacking

Translations (6)

cmn 少之又少 (rare and scarce) · ka აქა-იქ (rare and scarce) · pl rzadki (rare and scarce) · is fáir og strjálir (rare and scarce) · cmn 鳳毛麟角 /凤毛麟角 (rare and scarce) · fi harvassa (rare and scarce)