few and far between — rare or uncommon
expressionC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
Used to say that something does not happen often, or that there are very few examples of it.
Say it like a native
Textbook Such opportunities arise with considerable infrequency.
Native Chances like that are few and far between.
'Arise with considerable infrequency' is heavy; the idiom says 'rare' with feeling.
Pattern: [noun(s)] are few and far between
In use
- Good public parks are few and far between in the city centre.daily life
- When it comes to genuine opportunities for promotion in my company, I’d say they’re few and far between, so most people tend to stay in the same position for years.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Good jobs are few and far.
✓ Good jobs are few and far between.
Finish the idiom — '...and far between'.
Common collocations
few and far between— are, become, jobs are, chances are
Don't confuse it
'Few and far between' emphasizes rarity, while 'not many' simply means a small quantity without stressing how unusual it is.