SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
rarefied
adjective
Less dense than usual; also elevated or remote from ordinary experience.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Low in density
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topRarefied air has lower density. Low pressure often accompanies this condition but is not the same physical quantity.
Remote from ordinary experience
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topRarefied ideas or circles seem removed from everyday experience. Elite and exclusive concern status or access rather than intellectual elevation itself.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See rarefied in use
The novel explores the rarefied world of elite art collectors.
The keeper's diary used rarefied to describe the thin, less dense air at a high mountain station she once visited.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license