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.

---

extravaganza British  

/ ɪkˌstrævəˈɡænzə /

noun

1. an elaborately staged and costumed light entertainment

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

---

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

“Poltergeist” was, notably, a summertime Amblin release that similarly riffed on classic creature scares — updating dusty, old ghost tropes with new ideas — much like Mitchell does with his dino-time-travel extravaganza.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 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

Then there’s a much bigger question, which my colleague Bill Shaikin explored in 2022: Is the gondola phase one of a plan to develop stadium property into some kind of Dodgertown commercial extravaganza?

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2026

He has floated the idea of trying a residency instead of a multicity extravaganza.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

There are fluffy mounds of scrambled eggs, shiny sausage links, a bacon extravaganza.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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

“This repertoire — with its contrapuntal extravaganzas, its antiphonal balances, its espousal of instruments that chuff and wheeze and speak directly to a microphone — was made for stereo,” he wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 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

A few times on weekends, I’ve sat reading by the front door, thinking they might ask me to go with them on one of their zoo trips or after-running pancake extravaganzas, but they never do.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• pageant
• spectacular

---