Rarefy
hardNeutral toneRAIR-uh-fye
verb
Definition
to make less dense or thinner; to refine or make more esoteric
Memory hook
RAREFY = 'rare' + 'fy' (make rare/thin). Picture mountaintop air so thin and 'rarefied' that only a rare few can breathe it.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“At high altitude the air rarefies, leaving climbers gasping for oxygen.”
“Critics argued that the journal had rarefied its prose until ordinary readers could no longer follow it.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Rarefy is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "thin" or "refine" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "thicken".
Related GRE Words
emaciate
To make abnormally thin or weak, especially through illness or starvation
aberrant
Deviating from what is normal or expected
ameliorate
To make something bad or unsatisfactory better
coalesce
to come together to form one unified whole
dissolution
the breaking up or dissolving of an assembly, bond, or organization
distend
to swell or expand by internal pressure
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