extravagant
Americanadjective
-
spending much more than is necessary or wise; wasteful.
an extravagant shopper.
- Synonyms:
- prodigal, spendthrift, imprudent
-
excessively high.
extravagant expenses; extravagant prices.
- Synonyms:
- inordinate, excessive, immoderate
- Antonyms:
- moderate
-
exceeding the bounds of reason, as actions, demands, opinions, or passions.
- Synonyms:
- preposterous, absurd, wild, fantastic, unrestrained, unreasonable
- Antonyms:
- reasonable
-
going beyond what is deserved or justifiable.
extravagant praise.
-
Obsolete. wandering beyond bounds.
adjective
-
spending money excessively or immoderately
-
going beyond usual bounds; unrestrained
extravagant praise
-
ostentatious; showy
-
exorbitant in price; overpriced
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of extravagant
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Medieval Latin extrāvagant-, stem of extrāvagāns “wandering beyond,” present participle of extrāvagārī “to wander beyond,” from extrā- extra- + vagārī “to wander”
Explanation
Extravagant is an adjective that means expensive, excessive, and over the top. A modest chandelier in your dining room is normal. But crystal-studded walls and gold-plated goblets? That's a bit extravagant. If you’re prone to lavish behavior or spending, you’re extravagant. It’s an adjective associated with extremes, sometimes even to the point of absurdity. Fees at a bank can be extravagant, and so can a person who insists on drinking only bottled French mineral water out of a golden chalice. Remember that the only ‘e’ is at the beginning — the remaining three vowels are all ‘a.’
Vocabulary lists containing extravagant
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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.
Country music legend Sheryl Crow is offloading a small slice of her extravagant Nashville estate for $1.8 million—more than a decade after adding the 2.2-acre parcel to her longtime Tennessee compound.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
"With the extravagant prices and the costs involved in this World Cup, it's not going to achieve that," the 51-year-old added.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Transformative technologies never arrive fully formed; they rely upon determined practitioners committed to the painstaking work of distilling extravagant promise into daily practice.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
The supermodel took her penchant for extravagant Halloween costumes to the Met Gala, where she dressed as one of the many marble statues gracing the museum's halls.
From BBC • May 4, 2026
Poison, knives, a gown, and jewels that I think the Roach will find to be properly extravagant.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
