珍しい|めずらしいmezurashii[4]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. i-adjectiverare; uncommon; unusual; curious
   これは珍めずらしい種類しゅるいの魚さかなです。↗

   This is a strange kind of fish.
2. i-adjectivenew; novel
3. i-adjectivefine; nice; splendid; precious

• SynonymまれWrittenWritten/formal prose for the rare and seldom seen, as in 「稀な例」 or 「稀に見る」; stresses infrequency of occurrence and lacks the novelty of 「珍しい」.
• Synonym希少きしょうWrittenWritten/formal prose about scarcity in numbers, as in 「希少動物」 or 「希少な疾患」; focuses on how few exist, not on being unusual or interesting.
• Synonym異色いしょくWrittenWritten/formal prose for standing out with a distinctive character, as in 「異色の経歴」; stresses striking individuality.
• Synonym希代きたいWrittenWritten/formal prose for what is rare in this world, as in 「希代の天才」; can also suggest the marvelous.
• SynonymめったにないCasualColloquial, for things that hardly ever happen, as in 「滅多にないチャンス」; stresses the rarity of the opportunity more strongly than 「珍しい」.
• Synonym稀覯きこうWrittenWritten/formal prose for the extremely rare, chiefly old books and manuscripts, as in 「稀覯本」; also usable for rare materials or items.
• Related並み外れなみはずれNeutralNeutral; for size, strength or degree far beyond the average, as in 「並み外れた体力」; stresses an astonishing degree rather than rarity.
• Related非凡ひぼんWrittenWritten/formal prose for the extraordinary or outstanding, as in 「非凡な才能」; used only in a positive sense.
• Related特別とくべつNeutralNeutral; means set apart from the ordinary or specially treated, as in 「特別な日」; the emphasis is on being treated as distinct.
• Related変わったかわったCasualColloquial, for people or things that differ from the norm with a slightly odd air, as in 「変わった人」; stresses being unlike others.
• Related異例いれいWrittenWritten/formal prose for a break with precedent, as in 「異例の人事」; common in news reports.
• Related奇妙きみょうNeutralNeutral; means strange or puzzling, as in 「奇妙な事件」; stresses what baffles explanation rather than rarity.
• Related異様いようWrittenWritten/formal prose for the abnormal or eerie, as in 「異様な雰囲気」; carries an unsettling, uncanny feel.
• Related格別かくべつWrittenWritten/formal prose for the exceptional or special, as in 「格別の味」 or 「格別の事情」; stresses being distinct from the rest.
• Related風変わりふうがわりNeutralNeutral; for a somewhat eccentric character or look, as in 「風変わりな人」; slightly more formal than 「変わった」.
• Related希有けうWrittenWritten/formal prose for what is scarcely found in the world, as in 「希有な才能」 or 「希有な事故」; more solemn than 「珍しい」.
• Related珍奇ちんきWrittenWritten/formal prose for the strange and rare, as in 「珍奇な動物」; stresses oddness as much as rarity.
• Related桁外れけたはずれCasualColloquial, for scale far beyond the norm, as in 「桁外れの金額」; stresses sheer magnitude, an order of size above the usual.
• RelatedとてつもないCasualColloquial, for the outrageous or enormous, as in 「途轍もない計画」; often carries a sense of the unbelievable.
• Related突飛とっぴWrittenWritten/formal prose for ideas that are wild and unexpected, as in 「突飛な発想」.
• Related物珍しいものめずらしいCasualColloquial, for finding something novel enough to want a look, as in 「物珍しそうに眺める」; stresses curiosity.
• Related桁違いけたちがいCasualColloquial, for a gap of a different order, as in 「桁違いの強さ」; stresses that comparison is pointless.
• Antonym普通ふつうNeutralAntonym; the ordinary and unremarkable, as in 「ごく普通の家庭」.
• AntonymありふれたCasualColloquial antonym; found everywhere and hackneyed, as in 「ありふれた話」.
• Antonym日常的にちじょうてきNeutralAntonym; the commonplace stuff of daily life, as in 「日常的な出来事」.

Default to 「珍しい」 for anything rare, uncommon or novel. In formal prose, 「稀」 and 「希有」 cover the rarely seen, 「希少」 scarcity in numbers, and 「異例」 a break with precedent. For chances that hardly ever come up, use 「滅多にない」. For the odd or eccentric, 「変わった」 and 「風変わり」 fit best. The rest describe degrees of the extraordinary (「並み外れ」, 「桁外れ」, 「桁違い」, 「非凡」) or strangeness (「奇妙」, 「異様」), while 「普通」 and 「ありふれた」 are the everyday opposites.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. あまり普通ふつうでない。一般的いっぱんてきでない。
2. 他ほかにはあまりない。希少きしょうである。