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.
Such is the rarefied air they're breathing at this World Cup, what we said in previewing Haiti can be said again in looking forward to Morocco.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
The poaching has created a well-compensated game of musical chairs that has reshuffled the rarefied roster of lawyers considered go-to advocates before the nation’s high court.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
“To be quite honest, we were not forecasting that this ETF would essentially be in rarefied air within 10 days,” said Dave Mazza, chief executive of boutique asset manager Roundhill Investments.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
They experienced a rarefied state — a gap between life and death as narrow as the notch they were attempting to clear at dusk Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
There was always sunshine, always a tiny sticking in the throat from the rarefied air.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
