Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Not dense; thin.
- adjective Belonging to or reserved for a small select group; exclusive.
- adjective Refined or esoteric.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
Esoteric . - adjective of a gas, etc. Less
dense than usual. - verb Simple past tense and past participle of
rarefy .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective having low density
- adjective of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
Etymologies
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Examples
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"We're not going to see the Kitty that lives in rarefied air and wears Prada dresses and rides in helicopters," Grant says.
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Of course, this chance of surveying the landscapes in rarefied air, at supersonic speeds, will also cost you dearly.
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In certain rarefied circles of AI academia and video-game design, people sometimes theorize about a computer program that would combine the graphical realism of a modern video game with the emotional impact of great art.
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In certain rarefied circles of AI academia and video-game design, people sometimes theorize about a computer program that would combine the graphical realism of a modern video game with the emotional impact of great art.
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I know he's in rarefied air with 500-plus home runs and 3,000-plus hits.
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Bob had done his doctoral research in rarefied gas dynamics at UC Berkeley.
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No doubt strength and grace of form go well enough with the idea of rarefied body; but what can this rarefied body want with moral excellence?
The Six Enneads. Plotinus 1952
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-- What is called a rarefied area, has reference to a state or condition of the atmosphere which has less than the normal pressure or quantity of air.
Aeroplanes 1915
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That kind of rarefied branding on a broad scale seems out of touch nowadays.
Darryl A. Cobbin: Attention Luxury Brands: Paris Hilton is "Out"; Michelle Obama is "In" 2009
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That kind of rarefied atmosphere would, I imagine, pall after a time.
The Ninja Lustbader, Eric 1980
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