Synonyms

few and far between

Idioms

At wide intervals, scarce, as in Supporters of the amendment are few and far between. This expression originally was used very literally for physical objects such as houses appearing at widely separated intervals. Today it is also used more loosely. [Mid-1600s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

few and far between

"Sign writers, gilders - they're very, very much few and far between," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

Speculation runs wild as facts are few and far between.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

Memory centers like the one I direct are few and far between.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

Americans and Europeans are few and far between.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

Perhaps it was because I was a novelty here, where novelties were few and far between.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023