lavish
Americanadjective
-
expended, bestowed, or occurring in profusion.
lavish spending.
- Synonyms:
- wild, unrestrained, wasteful, unreasonable, thriftless, intemperate, improvident, immoderate, extravagant, excessive
-
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
verb (used with object)
-
lavishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lavished,
past participle, past
-
lavishing
present participle
adjective
-
prolific, abundant, or profuse
-
generous; unstinting; liberal
-
extravagant; prodigal; wasteful
lavish expenditure
verb
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
-
lavishernoun
-
lavishmentnoun
-
lavishnessnoun
-
overlavishnessnoun
-
overlavishadjective
-
unlavishadjective
-
unlavishedadjective
-
lavishlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lavishsimple
-
lavishessimple
-
have lavishedperfect
-
has lavishedperfect
-
am lavishingprogressive
-
are lavishingprogressive
-
is lavishingprogressive
-
have been lavishingperfect progressive
-
has been lavishingperfect progressive
Past
-
lavishedsimple
-
had lavishedperfect
-
was lavishingprogressive
-
were lavishingprogressive
-
had been lavishingperfect progressive
Future
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?
Vocabulary lists containing lavish
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Grade 9, List 6
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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.
See Examples For:
"After a while co-workers noticed the defendant appeared to have a lavish lifestyle," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
I am not saying I want the life they have, and I am quite grateful for the life I have, which is comfortable but not lavish.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Sean “Diddy” Combs has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement following allegations of his lavish federal prison lifestyle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
You may be wondering just what kind of company would be so willing to lavish the resources required for a full-scale New York City musical, accompanied by loads of free merch.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
Cameras flash, reporters shout questions, dignitaries lavish enthusiastic praise on us, and fans ask for our autographs.
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
The compassionate attention she lavishes on her gentle, troubled protagonist opens up an entire world, if you’re willing to take in what’s been hiding in plain sight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2024
“For this reason, I wish in my first encyclical to speak of the love which God lavishes upon us, and which we in turn must share with others.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2022
The playwright sneaks in bits of enjoyable wordplay, too, as when Rev lavishes praise on his own grilling skills.
From Washington Post ● May 26, 2022
It lavishes attention on them, correcting the dismissiveness of earlier historians.
From New York Times ● Dec. 26, 2021
He lavishes attention on the great storm-colored beast and her tiny rider from the moment we meet in the morning until the moment they disappear for the parade.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Michael Carrick struck a chord with many Manchester United fans as he lavished praise on Kobbie Mainoo after his side's thrilling 5-2 victory over Ipswich at Old Trafford, calling the midfielder's performance "immense".
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
With vast sums lavished on artificial intelligence investment over the past two years, markets are growing increasingly nervous about whether firms can deliver results to match.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Trump, at a recent Group of Seven summit in France, lavished praise on the U.A.E. president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Some cabinet members, like Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, lavished the president with adulation in their comments.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
Joe lavished every care on his love, and he perfected a lonely set of rules which might have gone like this: 1.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
Daphne and Eddie magnanimously turn the other cheek and then go back to lavishing one another with murmured compliments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Wall Street hasn’t exactly been lavishing the stock with praise lately.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
For much of his second term, Trump has seemed to bestride the globe, lavishing his attention on a wide range of international issues.
From Slate ● Mar. 10, 2026
“Fat Ham” practices what it preaches by lavishing laughter and delight as it encourages us to take our destinies caressingly in hand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2024
The English queen was lavishing honors upon her handsome Master of the Horse, Robert Dudley, and was generally understood to be preparing him for a seat on the throne beside herself.
From Stories about Famous Precious Stones by Mrs Goddard Orpen
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.
