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:
Beating them in a cup semi-final is extra special.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
He said he had a "gut feeling" that it was the best approach, but the team had insisted on a prep lap and had fuelled the car for the extra mileage.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
The day also marks the end of Daylight Savings, which means runners can savor an extra hour of sleep the night before.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
The board games are still in their packaging, and there’s no need for extra chairs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026
“Just last week I put an extra rail on the pasture fence. It didn’t do any good though. She sailed over it as if it wasn’t even there.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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
Josh Hodge added the extras to give Newcastle a 7-3 lead and he extended that to 10-3 with a simple close chip over after Sale were again penalised, this time for entering from the side.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
It was shot throughout Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk, including a scene with 6,000 extras in Gorleston-on-Sea.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
King provided just enough material for a speedy feature, and so the series has been packed with extras.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The extras were wrapped separately and bound with a paper ribbon that read: “We produced these additional samples with your order. They are sent to you, with our thanks.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
“Two bedroom cape with add-on potential. Nu to market, builder’s special. Contemporary ranch with extras galore.”
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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