lavish

American  

[lav-ish] / ˈlæv ɪʃ /

adjective

1. expended, bestowed, or occurring in profusion.

   lavish spending.

   Synonyms:

   wild, unrestrained, wasteful, unreasonable, thriftless, intemperate, improvident, immoderate, extravagant, excessive

   Antonyms:

   meager, sparing

2. using or giving in great amounts; prodigal (often followed byof ).

   lavish of his time;

   lavish of affection.

   Synonyms:

   unsparing, openhanded, munificent, liberal, free, effusive, bountiful, generous

   Antonyms:

   tight-fisted, tight, stingy, parsimonious, miserly, cheap

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verb (used with object)

1. to expend or give in great amounts or without limit.

   to lavish gifts on a person.

   Synonyms:

   dissipate, squander, waste, shower, heap

   Antonyms:

   withhold, stint, begrudge

lavish British  

/ ˈlævɪʃ /

adjective

1. prolific, abundant, or profuse

2. generous; unstinting; liberal

3. extravagant; prodigal; wasteful

   lavish expenditure

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verb

1. (tr) to give, expend, or apply abundantly, generously, or in profusion

Related Words

Lavish, prodigal, profuse refer to that which exists in abundance and is poured out copiously. Lavish suggests (sometimes excessive) generosity and openhandedness: lavish hospitality; much too lavish. Prodigal suggests wastefulness, improvidence, and reckless impatience of restraint: a prodigal extravagance. Profuse emphasizes abundance, but may suggest overemotionalism, exaggeration, or the like: profuse thanks, compliments, apologies.

Other Word Forms

• lavisher noun
• lavishly adverb
• lavishment noun
• lavishness noun
• overlavish adjective
• overlavishness noun
• unlavish adjective
• unlavished adjective

Etymology

Origin of lavish

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English lavas “profusion” (noun), “profuse” (adjective), from Middle French lavasse, lavache “downpour of rain,” derivative of laver “to wash,” from Latin lavāre

Explanation

Lavish means "generous and extravagant" as an adjective and "to give generously" as a verb. If you don't like it when people lavish you with attention, you might appreciate a lavish spread of excellent food instead. Lavish comes from the Old French lavache meaning "deluge, torrent," referring to rain. When you see it, think of a shower of good things coming down on you as you never use lavish with something bad. Didn't your parents lavish you with praise and love when you were small? With lavish as an adjective, you can rephrase that question like this: Didn't your parents offer you lavish praise and love when you were little?

Example Sentences

Their social media posts showed they lived a lavish L.A. lifestyle.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The tech sector is already slamming the brakes on some of its more lavish spending, and private consumer debts are piling up.

From Slate • Apr. 3, 2026

But the stadium has also served as a warehouse for food supplies, and Hezbollah held the lavish funeral there for its former leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel in September 2024.

From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026

The layers of shell companies and use of foreign conduits into luxury real estate help leaders of the Islamic Republic maintain an image back home of embracing modesty and rejecting lavish lifestyles, researchers say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The neuropsychologist James W. Prescott has performed a startling cross-cultural statistical analysis of 400 preindustrial societies and found that cultures that lavish physical affection on infants tend to be disinclined to violence.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• bountiful
• effusive
• excessive
• extravagant
• exuberant
• generous
• gorgeous
• grand
• lush
• luxurious
• opulent
• plush
• posh
• profligate
• ritzy
• sumptuous
• swanky
• wasteful