recherché
Pretentiously rare taste
Recherché describes something excessively refined, obscure, or pretentious in its rarity.
The word suggests taste that has gone beyond elegant into affected or precious territory: Her recherché references alienated most readers.
It can describe genuinely rare finds, but often carries a whiff of trying too hard: a recherché wine list designed to intimidate.
Accessible to few
- arcaneUnderstood by few
- reconditeObscure and specialized
- abstruseDifficult to comprehend
- rarefiedMade less dense
cryptic · occult · hermetic · specialized · niche · scholarly · erudite · learned
Purified or cultured
- elegantGracefully refined, tasteful
- choiceAct of selecting
- selectCarefully pick from options
- rareSeldom found or seen
tasteful · cultivated · discriminating · discerning · sophisticated · subtle · delicate · fine
Artificially contrived behavior
- ostentatiousShowily excessive
- preciousHighly esteemed, greatly valued
- manneredArtificially formal in style
- overwroughtExcessively emotional or elaborate
contrived · self-conscious · showy · studied · labored · forced · artificial · put-on
esoteric
Accessible to few
rarefied · cryptic · occult · hermetic · specialized · niche · scholarly · erudite · learned · pedantic
refined
Purified or cultured
rare · tasteful · cultivated · discriminating · discerning · sophisticated · subtle · delicate · fine · curated
affected
Artificially contrived behavior
- ostentatiousShowily excessive
- preciousHighly esteemed, greatly valued
- manneredArtificially formal in style
overwrought · contrived · self-conscious · showy · studied · labored · forced · artificial · put-on · highfalutin
recherchécommon
Widespread and unremarkable
ordinary · commonplace · everyday · ubiquitous · run-of-the-mill
recherchévulgar
Crude or indecent
coarse · unrefined · crude · uncultivated · uncultured
recherchémainstream
Dominant cultural current
popular · mass-produced · commercial · accessible · mass-market
research, researcher, researched, researching, researchers, researches, researchable