extravagant

adjective

ex·​trav·​a·​gant ik-ˈstra-vi-gənt How to pronounce extravagant (audio)
Synonyms of extravagantnext
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
b
: profuse, lavish
4
a
archaic : wandering
b
obsolete : strange, curious
extravagantly adverb

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
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 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 Following a six-minute battle between seven bidders, the extravagant set sold for $435,727, nearly eight times its original high estimate. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 12 Apr. 2024 Technology had improved enough that weird or extravagant ideas could be attempted with the click of a button. —Justin Taylor, The New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2024 The most extravagant and large homes can be seen on 21st and 22nd streets, the district plan stated. —Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024 Business For Subscribers The fight over ‘The One’ — L.A.’s biggest and most extravagant mansion Sept. 27, 2021 Did Hankey make his fortune in real estate? —Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024 Despite politely requesting help, I was largely ignored while other customers who were dressed in more extravagant clothing were approached immediately. —Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024 Hawaii is no stranger to extravagant homes owned by the super-rich. —NPR, 31 Mar. 2024 Although traditionally seen as an extravagant choice, cruising today is known just as much for its family-friendly and bargain deals. —David Nikel, Forbes, 29 Mar. 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

extravagancy

extravagant

extravaganza

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Extravagant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extravagant. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on extravagant

Nglish: Translation of extravagant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of extravagant for Arabic Speakers

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