extreme

American  

[ik-streem] / ɪkˈstrim /

adjective

extremer, extremest

1. of a character or kind farthest removed from the ordinary or average.

   extreme measures.

2. utmost or exceedingly great in degree.

   extreme joy.

   Synonyms:

   superlative

3. farthest from the center or middle; outermost; endmost.

   the extreme limits of a town.

   Synonyms:

   uttermost, last, ultimate

4. farthest, utmost, or very far in any direction.

   an object at the extreme point of vision.

5. exceeding the bounds of moderation.

   extreme fashions.

6. going to the utmost or very great lengths in action, habit, opinion, etc..

   an extreme conservative.

   Synonyms:

   unreasonable, uncompromising, fanatical, excessive, immoderate, extravagant

   Antonyms:

   moderate

7. last or final.

   extreme hopes.

8. Chiefly Sports. very dangerous or difficult.

   extreme skiing.

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noun

extremes plural

1. the utmost or highest degree, or a very high degree.

   cautious to an extreme.

2. one of two things as remote or different from each other as possible.

   the extremes of joy and grief.

3. the furthest or utmost length; an excessive length, beyond the ordinary or average.

   extremes in dress.

4. an extreme act, measure, condition, etc..

   the extreme of poverty.

5. Mathematics.

   1. the first or the last term, as of a proportion or series.

   2. a relative maximum or relative minimum value of a function in a given region.

6. Logic. the subject or the predicate of the conclusion of a syllogism; either of two terms that are separated in the premises and brought together in the conclusion.

7. Archaic. the utmost point, or extremity, of something.

extreme British  

/ ɪkˈstriːm /

adjective

1. being of a high or of the highest degree or intensity

   extreme cold

   extreme difficulty

2. exceeding what is usual or reasonable; immoderate

   extreme behaviour

3. very strict, rigid, or severe; drastic

   an extreme measure

4. (prenominal) farthest or outermost in direction

   the extreme boundary

5. meteorol of, relating to, or characteristic of a continental climate

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noun

1. the highest or furthest degree (often in the phrases in the extreme, go to extremes )

2. (often plural) either of the two limits or ends of a scale or range of possibilities

   extremes of temperature

3. maths

   1. the first or last term of a series or a proportion

   2. a maximum or minimum value of a function

4. logic the subject or predicate of the conclusion of a syllogism

Synonym Usage

See radical.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• extremeness
  noun
• superextremeness
  noun
• overextreme
  adjective
• quasi-extreme
  adjective
• superextreme
  adjective
• unextreme
  adjective
• superextremely
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• extremes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of extreme

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Latin extrēmus “most outward,” superlative of exterus “outward”; see exterior

Explanation

Something extreme is far out, either in terms of distance or intensity. Extreme sports are wild or dangerous, and an extreme height is very high. When you talk about extreme things, you're talking about things that are very, very...something. An extreme point is the farthest distance from a place. Extreme eating is a type of contest — like hot dog-eating — in which people eat a freakish amount of food to compete with each other. An extreme biker is biking down dangerously steep mountain sides. Anything extreme is pushing the limits and taking things about as far as they can go.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

extreme extremes extremer extremest

Devastating wildfires in France and Spain have forced more than 300,000 people to evacuate after a wet winter followed by extreme heat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

Big inflows represent excessive optimism, just as big outflows represent excessive pessimism — and the market tends to do the opposite of extreme sentiment.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Spain's state meteorological agency Aemet has warned the "fire danger level will continue to rise to extreme levels, hindering firefighting efforts".

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

A change in one major ocean current can alter rainfall and extreme weather thousands of miles away, affecting ecosystems, water supplies, and communities across several continents.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

One of the major goals of the second Five-Year Plan was to multiply the number of civil air routes across the USSR, covering extreme distances and connecting the far-flung corners of the huge country.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Camels are famously known as the ships of the desert, but even these hardy animals are not being spared from the extremes of rising temperatures in Africa.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

That dynamic is taken to extremes on her debut album, “Ultra”, released June 6.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

For the extremes, you could compare claiming as soon as you are eligible with waiting as long as possible to maximize Social Security — age 62 versus age 70.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Across western Europe and the UK, while temperatures are still likely to be higher than average this week for some, we will not see the extremes of last week.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Dorus did not have a penchant for extremes, though, either in action or in nature.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

Mr Senior had seen its essential principle, the right of subsistence, worked out farther—to extremer and more dangerous consequences—than perhaps any other political or social experiment, before the practical common sense of England interfered.

From The Quarterly Review, Volume 162, No. 324, April, 1886 by Various

He professed to like my supernatural beliefs much better than the anti-supernatural views of the extremer portion of his brethren.

From Modern Skepticism: A Journey Through the Land of Doubt and Back Again A Life Story by Barker, Joseph

A prominent King's man, nay, a Queen's man, which was held to be something extremer, he played, however, an individual part in the struggle.

From The Closet of Sir Kenelm Digby Knight Opened by MacDonell, Anne

But even the French Revolution had its humors; and as the English Puritan Revolution gathered head and the extremer sectaries pressed to the front—Quakers, New Lights, Fifth Monarchy Men, Ranters, etc.,—its grotesque sides came uppermost.

From From Chaucer to Tennyson by Beers, Henry A. (Henry Augustin)

A sharp check from the public authority generally brings out to the front this extremer element in German socialism.

From Contemporary Socialism by Rae, John

The printing press, praised by Martin Luther as “God’s highest and extremest act of Grace,” led to the Reformation, the Counter-Reformation — and a century of bloody religious wars.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2016

Now even the extremest obscenities have lost their power to shock.

From The Guardian ● May 23, 2013

The President-elect said he hoped the ceremony would be "one of the extremest in simplicity that we have ever had."

From Time Magazine Archive

“There will never be such a thing in my house,” said Wang Lung, in extremest horror.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

The furrow runs up to the extremest point of a vast field without hedges.

From Knowledge is Power: A View of the Productive Forces of Modern Society and the Results of Labor, Capital and Skill. by Knight, Charles

Related Words

• absolute
• dire
• drastic
• egregious
• exaggerated
• exceptional
• excessive
• extraordinary
• harsh
• irrational
• outrageous
• radical
• remarkable
• severe
• sheer
• unreasonable
• unusual
• utter