extravagant

adjective

ex·​trav·​a·​gant ik-ˈstra-vi-gənt How to pronounce extravagant (audio)
1
a
: exceeding the limits of reason or necessity
extravagant claims
b
: lacking in moderation, balance, and restraint
extravagant praise
c
: extremely or excessively elaborate
an extravagant display
2
: extremely or unreasonably high in price
an extravagant purchase
3
a
: spending much more than necessary
has always been extravagant with her money
4
a
archaic : wandering
b
obsolete : strange, curious
extravagantly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for extravagant

excessive, immoderate, inordinate, extravagant, exorbitant, extreme mean going beyond a normal limit.

excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.

excessive punishment

immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint.

immoderate spending

inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment.

inordinate pride

extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste.

extravagant claims for the product

exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree.

exorbitant prices

extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree.

extreme shyness

Examples of extravagant in a Sentence

The company has been making extravagant claims about the drug's effectiveness. The film is notable for its extravagant settings and special effects. We're going on a less extravagant vacation this year. Her extravagant spending has to stop.
Recent Examples on the Web Courtesy of François Rivard/Cirque du Soleil In its pre-COVID era, Cirque was producing extravagant new shows at a breakneck pace and embarking on an aggressive expansion of its permanent theaters abroad. Phil Wahba, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024 While its concepts for No Doubt skewed to a traditional rock-band setup, the studio went wild — and fully cinematic — with the stunts and set pieces for Doja Cat’s and Tyler, the Creator’s extravagant shows. Chris Willman, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024 Take a look at pictures of the extravagant home, which features a dual-sided fireplace, a theater room, a private elevator and more: Bollettieri, who died at age 91, never stopped coaching until his final days. James A. Jones Jr., Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2024 Donald and Maples got married on Dec. 20, 1993, in an extravagant ceremony in the grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel. Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024 Four months later, a mystery buyer dropped another $55 million on the wildly extravagant Beverly Hills mansion of actor Mark Wahlberg. James McClain, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024 Barclays Center in Brooklyn will soon have two new club areas, called The Row and The Key, that offer an extravagant experience that is more social. Kevin Draper Doug Mills, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024 Biden is alleged to have participated in a four-year scheme to avoid paying $1.4 million in taxes while living an extravagant lifestyle. Louis Casiano, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024 Guardiola was wearing an extravagant Richard Mille watch worth £1 million ($1.26 million) on his wrist at Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, according to TNT Sports, which is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company. Issy Ronald, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'extravagant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin extravagant-, extravagans, from Latin extra- + vagant-, vagans, present participle of vagari to wander about, from vagus wandering

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Time Traveler
The first known use of extravagant was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near extravagant

Cite this Entry

“Extravagant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extravagant. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

extravagant

adjective
ex·​trav·​a·​gant ik-ˈstrav-i-gənt How to pronounce extravagant (audio)
1
: going beyond what is reasonable or suitable
extravagant praise
2
: wasteful especially of money
extravagant spending
extravagantly adverb
Etymology

Middle English extravagaunt "wandering away, going beyond the usual limits," from early French extravagant (same meaning), from Latin extravagant-, extravagans (same meaning), from earlier extra- "outside, beyond" and vagari "to wander away" — related to vagabond

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