extra
adjective
beyond or more than what is usual, expected, or necessary; additional.
extra
1 American
[ek-struh]
/ ˈɛk strə /
adjective
-
beyond or more than what is usual, expected, or necessary; additional.
an extra copy of a newspaper; an extra charge.
-
larger or better than what is usual.
an extra binding.
-
Slang.
-
extremely good.
-
over the top; extreme or excessive.
Her behavior is just so extra, so dramatic!
-
noun
-
extras
plural
-
something extra or additional.
the little amenities and extras that make life pleasant.
-
an additional expense.
-
a special edition of a newspaper, other than a regular edition.
-
something of superior quality.
-
Movies, Television. a person hired by the day to play a minor part, as a member of a mob or crowd.
-
an additional worker.
-
Cricket. Usually extras. a score or run not made from the bat, as a bye or a wide.
adverb
-
in excess of the usual or specified amount.
an extra high price.
-
beyond the ordinary degree; unusually; uncommonly.
done extra well; extra large.
extra-
2
American
extra
1
British
/ ˈɛkstrə /
adjective
noun
-
a person or thing that is additional
-
something for which an additional charge is made
the new car had many extras
-
an additional edition of a newspaper, esp to report a new development or crisis
-
films an actor or person temporarily engaged, usually for crowd scenes
-
cricket a run not scored from the bat, such as a wide, no-ball, bye, or leg bye
-
something that is better than usual in quality
adverb
extra-
2
British
prefix
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of extra1
First recorded in 1770–80; by shortening of extraordinary
Origin of extra-2
< Latin, combining form of extrā (adv. and preposition) outside (of ), without
Explanation
Something extra is more than you need or more than you usually have. It's never a bad idea to bake extra chocolate chip cookies. Sometimes extra things are good, like the extra money you made this month or the extra attention you get on your birthday. Other times, they're not so great: nobody needs extra problems or extra traffic. Extra can also be an adverb, meaning "especially" or "unusually," like when your dog behaves extra well or you plan an extra special party for your friend. Extra comes from extraordinary, from the Latin root extra ordinem, "outside normal events."
Vocabulary lists containing extra
Theater - Introductory
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Theater - Middle School
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Theater - High School
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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.
See Examples For:
The planes flying longer distances are also getting a dedicated premium economy section called Premium Reserve, with seats and in-flight dining that are a step up from the airline’s existing extra legroom offering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Held in pre-trial detention ever since, Goktas is facing charges of insulting Erdogan and incitement to public hatred, with prosecutors later adding an extra charge of praising crime and criminals, according to the indictment.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
An NHS trust has apologised to the family of three-year-old Noah Woods for the "extra anguish" caused after a data breach of his medical records.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
The facts need no extra hype or sensational Messi comparisons.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
And yet, pushing at the corner of my mind: Theo was supposed to be earning extra credit this week.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Once the paneling is clean, I then suggested that she very lightly sand the light areas on the paneling with extra- or super-fine sandpaper to just scuff up the existing clear coating.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2022
It turns out that nonbelievers are the ones doing most of the magical thinking when it comes to extra-, intra-, and ultraterrestrial beings.
From Slate ● Oct. 18, 2021
The second stage of extra- and co-curricular reopening, scheduled for July 20-Aug.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 3, 2020
A wholesale T-shirt company offers sizes small, medium, large, and extra- large in organic or non- organic cotton and colors white, black, gray, blue, and red.
From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015
For a fistful of pickups tailored extra- specially for this nightmarish scenario, try Cyranofeed, available at rates as low as— She was like, “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you at Marty’s.”
From "Feed" by M.T. Anderson
All of us were extras, and I feel like people saw us in the films and started to emulate us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
A posse of extras clad in white jumpsuits and little black aprons would occasionally flood the set, tidying up and moving the furniture into new configurations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Fellow retiree Ben Garcia did succeed with the boot, however, as he kicked the extras in the aftermath of Lis' try on the verge of the full-time hooter.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
"You need to be eating a balanced diet, training well, sleeping right, recovering well, hydrating – all of those things – before we add in all of the extras."
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
"I think your dad has a few extras around his office. And stop wiggling, Jeremy. You look like you've got Saint Vitus' Dance!"
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
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.
