Synonyms of infrequent

infrequent

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈfrē-kwənt 

as in occasional

not often occurring or repeated

a shut-in who made infrequent trips to the store

Synonyms & Similar Words

• occasional
• sporadic
• odd
• rare
• isolated
• unusual
• uncommon
• intermittent
• scarce
• few and far between
• scattered
• unique
• discontinuous
• irregular
• erratic
• spasmodic
• fitful
• spotty
• unsteady
• choppy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• frequent
• regular
• daily
• common
• ordinary
• routine

Synonym Chooser

How is the word infrequent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of infrequent are rare, scarce, sporadic, and uncommon. While all these words mean "not common or abundant," infrequent implies occurrence at wide intervals in space or time.

infrequent family visits

In what contexts can rare take the place of infrequent?

The words rare and infrequent can be used in similar contexts, but rare suggests extreme scarcity or infrequency and often implies consequent high value.

rare first editions

When can scarce be used instead of infrequent?

In some situations, the words scarce and infrequent are roughly equivalent. However, scarce implies falling short of a standard or required abundance.

jobs were scarce during the Depression

When would sporadic be a good substitute for infrequent?

The meanings of sporadic and infrequent largely overlap; however, sporadic implies occurrence in scattered instances or isolated outbursts.

sporadic cases of influenza

When could uncommon be used to replace infrequent?

Although the words uncommon and infrequent have much in common, uncommon suggests a frequency below normal expectation.

smallpox is now uncommon in many countries

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of infrequent

There was weight that wouldn’t come off, which resulted in infrequent casting and just a smattering of shows. —Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025

Even on a volatile Earth billions of years ago, lightning may have been too infrequent to produce amino acids in quantities sufficient for life — a fact that has cast doubt on such theories in the past, Zare said. —Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025

The marine mammal — an infrequent visitor to the shores of the Emerald Isle — was spotted in the Waterford Estuary on the morning of March 25, according to a news release from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), a conservation non-profit. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2025

So far, the oil attacks are also too infrequent and insufficiently destructive to inflict the kind of economic damage that could alter the course of Russia’s 37-month wider war on Ukraine. —David Axe, Forbes, 26 Mar. 2025