splurge
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to indulge oneself in some luxury or pleasure, especially a costly one.
They splurged on a trip to Europe.
-
to show off.
verb (used with object)
noun
noun
-
an ostentatious display, esp of wealth
-
a bout of unrestrained extravagance
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
splurgesimple
-
splurgessimple
-
have splurgedperfect
-
has splurgedperfect
-
am splurgingprogressive
-
are splurgingprogressive
-
is splurgingprogressive
-
have been splurgingperfect progressive
-
has been splurgingperfect progressive
Past
-
splurgedsimple
-
had splurgedperfect
-
was splurgingprogressive
-
were splurgingprogressive
-
had been splurgingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of splurge
Explanation
To splurge is to indulge yourself. You can also go on a splurge if you spend a lot or act extravagantly in another way. Anyone might have a cupcake. If you have 10 cupcakes, that's a splurge. When you go on a splurge or are splurging, it usually applies to money. Splurging happens when you see a lot of things you want — or even one very expensive thing — and buy it, even though you might not be able to afford it. When you splurge, you're going wild in some way. A splurge is sometimes called a binge.
Vocabulary lists containing splurge
With the Fire on High
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Some Places More Than Others
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The List of Things That Will Not Change
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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:
While some save up for a single splurge, “a lot of customers own three, four, five Birkins or multiple Rolexes,” said store manager Chris Jewell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
“You’ll find the guy who’s saved up three months to be able to splurge for one day and the couple for whom money means nothing,” Castillo continued as my brisket taco arrived.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
“We can’t go abroad and splurge like we used to,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
A consumer who won’t splurge on a luxury bag may still pay for a weekend hike, a pet, a fitness class, a short domestic trip, or a companion to eat hot pot with.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
It meant that I had made enough money that she could splurge and make she-crab soup for supper.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
Despite the sticker shock, therapists and financial experts say such splurges could be worth it, as long as it’s something you can afford and it holds significant value for you.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
Marcel Thieliant at Capital Economics added that he did not expect Takaichi to embark on any new major spending splurges or tax cuts.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
The 40-year-old mother of two teenagers said she no longer splurges on the occasional luxury bag, and instead lives frugally, ordering cheap takeout from food delivery apps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
Shoes, one of the most basic necessities and also one of Americans' biggest splurges, could become more expensive, including the beloved sneakers Nike Air Force 1s and Adidas Sambas.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2025
They knew about a couple of her matrimonial splurges.
From The House of Torchy by Brown, Arthur William
He had splurged and gotten his nails done, and they looked fantastic, which I was sure to compliment him on.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
He drives a 2015 Ford F-150 but splurged on an in-ground pool about five years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 5, 2026
Knocking on for £40m - maybe more - has been splurged on transfer and loan fees.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2026
The Dodgers also splurged in December by signing former New York Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz to a $69 million three-year deal, making him the highest paid closer in baseball.
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
She’d splurged and felt really good about it.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
It’s also unclear why she chose a five-star resort for the splurging, given her discomfort with everything from the menu on down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
But after splurging on wardrobe items belonging to bygone A-listers, some auction buyers wonder what to do with them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Sure, some attendees may be splurging thousands on a single ticket, but others are getting nothing at all, even after traveling across international borders for games.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
If splurging on game tickets doesn’t make sense for you, there are still affordable ways to enjoy the event, Ramirez says.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
The difference is that one will be splurging and then play on a public course while the other will not blink at the price and tee off at a private country club.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
