RAREFIED Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

rarefied

adjective

Definition of rarefied

as in buoyant

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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 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 The pivot to darkness in the third book and movie is what made Rowling's work ascend into rarefied air. — David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rarefied

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rarefied

Adjective

During testing, the structure remained buoyant even after cracks developed, connection points fractured, and an entire lattice layer broke apart.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Sep. 2026
The grinning Colbert was positively buoyant arriving to the empty engraving counter with his already-dancing wife, Evelyn McGee Colbert.

— KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of buoyant

Adjective

The creamy formula feels nourishing yet weightless, forming an ultra-thin, flexible film that moves with your expressions and then bounces back into place.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
Line Smoother preps and blurs, then Balance-n-Brighten delivers buildable, weightless coverage with marbleized pigments for a polished finish.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 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

The eFlyer 2 seeks to address both requirements through its electric powertrain and lightweight structure.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Meta and Apple are fierce rivals, and on Wednesday, the Facebook creator upped the ante by announcing new lightweight virtual reality glasses that make Apple’s Vision Pro headset look like bulky old tech.

— Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 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

The craftsmanship continues upstairs, where jamdani fabrics and wallpapers in the primary bedroom celebrate the ancient Bengal art of weaving fine diaphanous textiles, embodying the showroom’s dedication to materiality, artistry, and the human hand.

— AD PRO, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2026
Kaia Gerber left little to the imagination in a diaphanous black dress at the London premiere of The Shards.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 30 July 2026

Definition of diaphanous

Adjective

The flames of perdition, fueled by guilt, estrangement, and repression, lap at society’s sham institutions and flimsy fronts of civility.

— Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
None of us should get too attached to our flimsy little Y chromosome.

— Mike McRae September 20, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of flimsy

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“Rarefied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rarefied. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rarefied

adjective

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