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 Competing at his sixth and potentially final World Cup, Messi had delivered his usual rarefied excellence throughout the tournament — even at an age in which most soccer greats are well into retirement. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026 But the point of a classical education isn’t to develop a rarefied skill. — Elias Wachtel, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026 A bit more than halfway to the runup to the July 17 final, this year’s World Cup is already reaching the rarefied air of something beyond even the NBA Finals or the World Series. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 July 2026 What began as a joke about turning the once-awkward sidekick into a digital-age Dick Cavett has since become one of the internet’s more rarefied interview rooms, drawing comedians, rappers, and politicians into Friedland’s orbit. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rarefied

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rarefied

Adjective

Spending has held up, in large part due to persistently low unemployment and a buoyant stock market that has boosted household wealth for many.

— Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
Her lively cast, led by a buoyant Ella Rubin, bounce off each other in a remote, gorgeous, lakeside setting on which the show’s entire story pivots.

— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of buoyant

Adjective

It’s formulated to add weightless moisture and shine while taming flyaways and frizz.

— Essence Wiley, InStyle, 3 Aug. 2026
John, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, has spent the past five years working on a class of models called weightless neural networks.

— Jackie Snow, IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2026

Definition of weightless

Adjective

The four women are cardboard-cutout archetypes, played in amiable lightweight fashion.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
If your hair is feeling dry, hairstylist Kee Taylor recommends smoothing a lightweight oil through the midlengths and ends to improve manageability and shine.

— Marci Robin, Allure, 21 Aug. 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

Led by a team at Keio University in Tokyo, with collaborators including the MIT Media Lab, the team designed the lighter-than-air prototype to feel approachable, safe, and comfortable around people.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026
Its elastic Nap smocking and lighter-than-air fabric stay comfortable all the while — even when commuting in 90-degree weather.

— Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 2 July 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

Luckily for everyone involved, the barriers were the flimsy plastic kind; otherwise, this might’ve ended up being fodder for the World Bollard Association.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Aug. 2026
However, her recent falling out with Lively has left that title feeling very flimsy.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of flimsy

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rarefied

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“Rarefied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rarefied. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rarefied

adjective

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