Standard Lemma guide

rarefied

adj · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: R EH1 R AH0 F AY0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Distant from the lives and everyday concerns of ordinary people; esoteric, exclusive, select.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Philosophical debates can be quite rarefied.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Elevated in style or nature, sublime; of high intellectual or moral value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Less dense than usual; thin.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The air at high altitudes at the top of mountains is rarefied.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

simple past and past participle of rarefy

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style- Oliver Franks

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an exalted ideal
  • argue in terms of high-flown ideals
  • a noble and lofty concept
  • a grand purpose

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: exalted, elevated, sublime, grand, high-flown, high-minded, lofty, rarified, idealistic, noble-minded

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

having low density

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • rare gasses
  • lightheaded from the rarefied mountain air

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rare, rarified

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: езотеричен (ezoteričen) — distant from the lives and concerns of ordinary people
  • German: abgehoben — distant from the lives and concerns of ordinary people
  • German: abstrakt — distant from the lives and concerns of ordinary people
  • German: realitätsfern — distant from the lives and concerns of ordinary people
  • German: entrückt — distant from the lives and concerns of ordinary people
  • German: herausgehoben — distant from the lives and concerns of ordinary people
  • Bulgarian: възвишен (vǎzvišen) — elevated in style or nature
  • German: erhaben — elevated in style or nature
  • German: sublim — elevated in style or nature
  • German: anspruchsvoll — elevated in style or nature
  • German: exklusiv — elevated in style or nature
  • German: verfeinert — elevated in style or nature
  • Russian: утончённый (utončónnyj) — elevated in style or nature
  • Bulgarian: разреден (razreden) — less dense than usual
  • Czech: ředěný — less dense than usual
  • Czech: zředěný — less dense than usual
  • Esperanto: rara — less dense than usual
  • Esperanto: maldensa — less dense than usual
  • French: raréfié — less dense than usual
  • German: verdünnt — less dense than usual
  • German: dünn — less dense than usual
  • Irish: séimh — less dense than usual
  • Manx: thannit — less dense than usual
  • Polish: rozrzedzony — less dense than usual
  • Portuguese: rarefeito — less dense than usual
  • Russian: разрежённый (razrežónnyj) — less dense than usual
  • Spanish: rarificado — less dense than usual
  • Spanish: enrarecido — less dense than usual
  • Spanish: rarefecho — less dense than usual
  • Spanish: rareado — less dense than usual
  • Ukrainian: розрі́джений (rozrídženyj) — less dense than usual
  • Volapük: feinüköl — less dense than usual