rarefied

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 17, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>rarefied</strong> &#149; \RAIR-uh-fyde\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p>Something described as <em>rarefied</em> is understood or appreciated by only a small or select group of people; the word is a synonym of <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/esoteric"><em>esoteric</em></a>. <em>Rarefied</em> can also be used technically to mean “being less dense,” a use that is typically applied to air that has less oxygen in it because of high elevation. </p> <p>// She has never been comfortable in the <em>rarefied</em> world of art dealers.</p> <p>// The climbers knew that breathing in the <em>rarefied</em> air near the mountain's peak would be difficult.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rarefied">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“Quiet luxury fashion is on the rise, helped by the unbranded ‘stealth wealth’ styles favoured by the Roys in HBO’s hit TV show <em>Succession</em> and the louche-yet-elegant looks donned by Gwyneth Paltrow during her now infamous ski trip trial. There is, however, always a rule breaker where you least expect one, and this spring, it’s the ultimate ‘stealth’ brand, Rolex, that’s bending the rules and bringing a sense of playfulness to the <em>rarefied</em> milieu of haute luxury.” — Alexandra Zagalsky, <em>The Week</em> (London), 14 Apr. 2023</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>In the upper reaches of <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chomolungma">Chomolungma</a>, known more familiarly as <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest">Mount Everest</a>, the air is so rarefied—so much less dense than at lower elevations—that most climbers use supplemental oxygen in order to successfully complete their climb. This sense of <em>rarefied</em>, a wo