adjective
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exalted in nature or character; lofty
a rarefied spiritual existence
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current within only a small group; esoteric or exclusive
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(of a gas, esp the atmosphere at high altitudes) having a low density; thin
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rarefied
Explanation
Use the adjective rarefied to describe things that are so stylish, smart, or moral that they seem elevated above the ordinary, like the rarefied conversation of brilliant scholars. To correctly pronounce rarefied, accent the first syllable: "RARE-uh-fied." In addition to high-minded conversation, the word rarefied can also describe the air in high elevations that has less oxygen, like the rarefied air that can be challenging to mountain climbers. Sometimes the quality of airlessness shades the other meaning of the word, implying that the rarefied world of elegant people isn't comfortable to everyone.
Vocabulary lists containing rarefied
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT words Beginning with "R"
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This Week in Pop Culture: December 1 - 7, 2018
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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.
In the same way that regional brands like Shake Shack and In-N-Out have maintained cult followings for their novelty, Cane’s has no doubt benefited from the same kind of rarefied air.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
There are good to very good players sprinkled around the team, but the collective is decidedly average, at best, in the rarefied air of a World Cup.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Were Chun to win this tournament, she would be in rarefied air with bookend victories separated by 11 years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
But there’s a more rarefied manner of doing away with these immortal beings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
For the first semester, I was one of three Black students in the school, and in that rarefied atmosphere I came to love my people more.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
