exorbitant
Americanadjective
-
exceeding the bounds of custom, propriety, or reason, especially in amount or extent; highly excessive.
to charge an exorbitant price; exorbitant luxury.
-
Archaic. outside the authority of the law.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- exorbitance noun
- exorbitantly adverb
- unexorbitant adjective
- unexorbitantly adverb
Etymology
Origin of exorbitant
1425–75; late Middle English < Late Latin exorbitant- (stem of exorbitāns, present participle of exorbitāre to go out of the track), equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + orbit ( a ) wheel track ( orbit ) + -ant- -ant
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shelters were full, and landlords were demanding — and getting — exorbitant rents and advance payments that Kareet, who owns a pet shop specializing in birds, simply couldn’t afford.
From Los Angeles Times
Afterward, Lam embarked on “what only can be described as an outrageous and exorbitant spending spree,” Stratton said.
From Los Angeles Times
Lamenting the logistical nightmare, exorbitant costs and strain on working families, they offer tips and tricks for locking in sought-after sessions: Pay attention to countdown clocks.
Where we don’t hide behind high walls, apologists and exorbitant price tags.
From Los Angeles Times
"In times of crisis you can expect some increases, but for heating oil this has been exorbitant. We're being taken for a ride."
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
