rarefy

[rair-uh-fahy]

verb (used with object)

rarefied, rarefying 

1. to make rare or rarer; make less dense.

   to rarefy a gas.

2. to make more refined, spiritual, or exalted.

verb (used without object)

rarefied, rarefying 

1. to become rare or less dense; become thinned.

   Moisture rarefies when heated.

rarefy

/ ˈrɛərɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to make or become rarer or less dense; thin out

Other Word Forms

• rarefier noun
• rarefiable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rarefy¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English rarefien, from Middle French rarefier, from Medieval Latin rārificāre, from Latin rārēfacere, equivalent to rārē-, irregular, unexplained combining form of rārus + facere “to make”; rare ¹, -fy

Word History and Origins

Origin of rarefy¹

C14: from Old French raréfier , from Latin rārēfacere , from rārus _rare ¹ + facere to make

Example Sentences

There are two tennis geniuses operating in a rarefied atmosphere—and then there’s everyone else.

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After the fortnight the prime minister has had, a spot of rarefied pageantry is just the ticket.

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But for Belgravia's gilded set, being told to leave the rarefied streets and return to a supposedly less desirable part of the English capital cuts deep.

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While you may not have a Melinda Gates in your life to call on, recent studies show that gender stereotypes continue to persist far beyond the rarefied world of fundraising conversations between founders and investors.

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For many people, it was a glimpse into the rarefied world of the Vatican, and the highly secretive process of choosing a leader for the Roman Catholic Church.

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Related Words

• attenuate