rarefy

American  

[rair-uh-fahy] / ˈrɛər əˌfaɪ /

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.

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verb (used without object)

rarefied, rarefying

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

   Moisture rarefies when heated.

rarefy British  

/ ˈrɛərɪˌfaɪ /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• rarefiable adjective
• rarefier noun

Etymology

Origin of rarefy

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

Example Sentences

That reach extends into more rarefied spaces too.

From BBC

The privilege is pressure, pressure is a privilege and the possibility of making such rarefied history, with folks at FanGraphs giving the Dodgers 27% odds to win this World Series, is anything but automatic.

From Los Angeles Times

Dictators may be faithless and brutal to their own people, but in the rarefied circle of fellow dictators, a kind of camaraderie flourishes.

From Salon

The Iran war had turned one of the world’s most rarefied sports into a high-stakes evacuation mission—one that would be filled with logistical obstacles.

From The Wall Street Journal

It was one thing for Redzepi to showcase the wonders of Nordic cuisine at his rarefied Copenhagen restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• attenuate