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:
Those buyers pay extra for the oil as a result.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
That amount doesn’t include extra spending related to the U.S. military presence in Japan, which, when finalized, would likely push the total sum beyond the record 9 trillion yen budgeted for the current fiscal year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
But make no mistake: by dialing up their otherwise elegant chamber pop with a little extra crunch and distortion, the players of Not for Radio came ready to rock out with the Daisy Chain crowd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
But, hold the extra spice please, as I'm useless with anything too hot.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Arlo and I go out of our way to be extra nice to Dad, because even though he doesn’t know it yet, sometime soon, he’s gonna be heartbroken.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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
Plasmids, which consist of extra- chromosomal DNA, are also present in many species of bacteria and archaea.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 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
Adrienne sends you home with three dollars and an extra- large hot chocolate.
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
The first act has a visceral, terrifying sequence with panicky close-ups of extras sprinting pell-mell toward the car.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
Premium seats are better profit-makers, and airlines can still offer extras for a price.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
In Greece, there has been criticism over the lack of Greek actors in the film, beyond extras.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
See how the rest of the extras stack up.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Once Mom started teaching, I thought maybe we’d be able to buy new clothes, eat cafeteria lunches, and even spring for nifty extras like the class pictures the school took every year.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
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.
