RAREFIED Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

rarefied

adjective

Definition of rarefied

as in buoyant

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of rarefied Not everything works, notably the rarefied nature of the score, which at time sounds like Rufus Norris’ quirky verbatim musical London Road (2015). — Damon Wise, Deadline, 11 Sep. 2026 Muse Spark made a splash last week when an industry index gave it a top score, putting it in rarefied air with frontier models from leading labs like OpenAI and Anthropic. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 While the film’s logline hints at something a bit darker — a young woman makes her way through the rarefied world of New York literary mags in the years before #MeToo is even a glimmer — there’s a real lightness to the final film. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026 Kokomo is in a set of islands in Fiji’s south, a rarefied stretch that isn't touristy. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rarefied

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rarefied

Adjective

In the first installment, most of the kids are buoyant, unaware, their eyes glittering with naïveté.

— Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
At Christie’s on Tuesday night, the underbidding activity was buoyant for many European Old Masters and established contemporary Asian artists, from Peter Paul Rubens to Liu Ye, now in his 60s.

— Hok-hang Cheung, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of buoyant

Adjective

One bottle promises the nourishment of oil and the weightless finish of a serum.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Priced at $1,450, the pumps add an almost weightless quality to the outfit, with their barely-there construction echoing the transparency of the ribbon skirt.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of weightless

Adjective

In the Christian tradition, these words are a grim warning of our transience, the vaporous substance of our lives.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026
Hz [Warp] Warp lodestars Seefeel are most recognizable for their vaporous blend of shoegaze, ambient, and experimental electronic music.

— Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026

Definition of vaporous

Adjective

Brush Air’s Design and Daily Use Brush Air offers a slim, pen-style design with four brushing modes, which Bixdo presents as a lightweight option for travel.

— Advertorial, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
The company offers a lightweight, easy-to-navigate product that feels intuitive and non-intrusive.

— Stephanie Barnes, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of lightweight

Adjective

Roadmaps are frequently high-level and unsubstantial.

— Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
This can alter the amount and types of ACE-inhibiting peptides created during fermentation2—and possibly account for kombucha's unsubstantial effect on blood pressure.

— MD Published, Verywell Health, 27 Dec. 2025

Definition of unsubstantial

Adjective

The volunteer-run group is pursuing an unconventional Airship to Orbit plan that could use lighter-than-air vehicles to reach space.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
That’s likely due to the shoes’ lighter-than-air cushioning that’s made with the highest energy-return foam that the brand has ever made.

— Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of lighter-than-air

Adjective

What can’t go unremarked upon, though, is the surpassing wonder of Dennis Gassner and Richard Johnson’s production design, a near-Brechtian marvel of diaphanous screens, rotating parts, and other ingenious devices.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026
Jacquard, mesh and fil coupé raffia created dynamic three-dimensional effects, and a diaphanous oversize trenchcoat reflected Gonella’s fabric research.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of diaphanous

Adjective

The rules, which are never explained, are put there as flimsy excuses for aspects of the pilot that don’t hold together otherwise.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
That year, hundreds of thousands crossed the Mediterranean on flimsy rubber boats in hopes of finding a safer future in Europe.

— Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of flimsy

Browse Nearby Words

raree-shows

rarefied

rarely

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rarefied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rarefied. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rarefied

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

abscond

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes