rarefied

[ rair-uh-fahyd ]
See synonyms for rarefied on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. extremely high or elevated; lofty; exalted: the rarefied atmosphere of a scholarly symposium.

  2. of, belonging to, or appealing to an exclusive group; select; esoteric: rarefied tastes.

Origin of rarefied

1
First recorded in 1660–70; rarefy + -ed2

Other words from rarefied

  • ul·tra·rar·e·fied, adjective
  • un·rar·e·fied, adjective

Words Nearby rarefied

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use rarefied in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for rarefied

rarefied

/ (ˈrɛərɪˌfaɪd) /


adjective
  1. exalted in nature or character; lofty: a rarefied spiritual existence

  2. current within only a small group; esoteric or exclusive

  1. (of a gas, esp the atmosphere at high altitudes) having a low density; thin

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