Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

in extremis

American  
[in eks-tre-mees, in ik-stree-mis] / ɪn ɛksˈtrɛ mis, ɪn ɪkˈstri mɪs /

adverb

Latin.

  1. in extremity.

  2. near death.

in extremis British  
/ ɪn ɪkˈstriːmɪs /

adverb

  1. in extremity; in dire straits

  2. at the point of death

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of in extremis

literally: in the furthest reaches

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.

Bond holdings are concentrated in domestic pension funds and life insurers, and in extremis the BoJ could resume buying itself.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Shannon, in extremis, suffers for sins he would rather not be accountable for.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025

And to many of his fellow drivers, Verstappen can drive in extremis in a manner they do not find acceptable.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2024

“I wanted to be put in a situation in extremis where I would have no choice but to grow. And I got it.”

From New York Times • May 12, 2024

Unfortunately, when he found himself in extremis at the board and called on his chess muse to save him, there was no answer.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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.