extravaganza

American  

[ik-strav-uh-gan-zuh] / ɪkˌstræv əˈgæn zə /

noun

• extravaganzas
  plural

1. a musical or dramatic composition or production, as comic opera or musical comedy, marked by a loose structure, a frivolous theme, and elaborate costuming and staging.

2. any lavish or opulent show, event, assemblage, etc..

   an extravaganza of new housewares on the twelfth floor.

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extravaganza British  

/ ɪkˌstrævəˈɡænzə /

noun

1. an elaborately staged and costumed light entertainment

2. any lavish or fanciful display, literary or other composition, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• extravaganzas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of extravaganza

1745–55; alteration of Italian ( e ) stravaganza extravagance

Explanation

Halftime at the Super Bowl, the Oscar awards ceremony, or the opera Aida performed at the Baths of Caracalla — each of these is an extravaganza, a big, splashy, extravagant entertainment or celebration. The word extravaganza comes from the Italian word estravaganza (or stravaganza), which was an elaborate literary or musical production. When the word appeared in English in the mid-18th century, English speakers turned the estra- into extra- because after all, an elaborate entertainment could certainly be called something "extra." Aida at the Baths of Caracalla, complete with horses, astonishing costumes, and faux-Egyptian temples — now that's an extravaganza.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

extravaganza extravaganzas

Even so, Tuesday she faced an orchestra that had just returned a week earlier from a grueling U.K. tour with Dudamel before jumping into the emotional and grueling farewell Bowl extravaganza.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

"It is a two-hour extravaganza as the Moon slowly covers the Sun and then moves away again so it is not just one glimpse, and it is really dangerous to keep looking."

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Backed by Arthur Freed, the legendary producer of MGM musicals, “Invitation” remains an audacious extravaganza and an underappreciated achievement in cine-dance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Coldplay's Chris Martin is curating the extravaganza, a first for a football World Cup final and one that has raised concerns over how long the game's halftime break will be.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

She groaned when Roy showed her the advertisement for the Mother Paula’s groundbreaking extravaganza.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

This was also the heyday of traveling extravaganzas like Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West shows, which featured hundreds of performers re-enacting frontier battles and showing off their hunting and sharpshooting skills.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

Grand Slams used to be fortnight-long events but are increasingly becoming three-week extravaganzas, with the Australian Open leading the way.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

Yes, that’s the same Chris Columbus who directed two “Home Alone” movies, two of “Harry Potter,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” and other family-friendly extravaganzas.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2024

There’s a fascinatingly wide array of big titles leaving Netflix in the United States in March — everything from kiddie cartoons to star-heavy dramas to action extravaganzas.

From New York Times ● Feb. 29, 2024

In fact they cared not at all about the war, about scientific inventions, about the advance of industry, the price of gold, or the latest extravaganzas in the world of fashion.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

• pageant
• spectacular