refined
/ɹɪˈfaɪnd/adjective, noun, verb
refined is spelled R-E-F-I-N-E-D: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 6.8 times per million words in written English, the 9,165th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, refined means “Subtle, scrupulous, carefully thought out” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in refined?
| Letters | 7: R-E-F-I-N-E-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 6.8 times per million words; the 9,165th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is refined?
Refined appears 6.8 times per million words in written English, the 9,165th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce refined?
- /ɹɪˈfaɪnd/
Refined has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Persent101-refined.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with refined?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as refined.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: definer.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of refined
- more refined comparative
- most refined superlative
- refineds plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does refined mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
obsoleteSagacious, sometimes (derogatory) oversubtle or feigning sagacity.
- 2
Subtle, scrupulous, carefully thought out.
The argument, while not persuasive, is quite refined.
- 3
Developed, improved.
The curriculum has been carefully refined to meet the needs of foreign students.
- 4
Elevated and polished.
In the British Isles, Oxbridge is considered refined; Geordie somewhat less so.
- 5
Elegant, sometimes (derogatory) affected, prissy, or bloodless.
Don Draper was a man of refined tastes.
- 6
Highly-processed and pure.
Under current guidelines, refined sugar must be at least five times purer than its raw counterpart.
- 7
Free of dross or alloy.
The Temple at Jerusalem preferred Tyrian shekels, since even with Ba'al's portrait they bore highly refined silver.
- 8
obsoleteMorally pure.
noun
- 1
The refined form of a commodity, as opposed to its raw or generic form.
We're still purchasing copper ore, but the market for refined is weaker.
verb
- 1
simple past and past participle of refine
The raw petroleum was refined into kerosene.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate refined?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of refined: RBD.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Refined in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | affiné, raffiné |
| German | kultiviert, gepflegt , raffiniert, verfeinert, gereinigt |
| Spanish | paltón, refinado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.