splurge

American  

[splurj] / splɜrdʒ /

verb (used without object)

splurged, splurging

1. to indulge oneself in some luxury or pleasure, especially a costly one.

   They splurged on a trip to Europe.

2. to show off.

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verb (used with object)

splurged, splurging

1. to spend (money) lavishly or ostentatiously.

   He splurged thousands on the party.

noun

1. an ostentatious display, especially an extravagantly expensive one.

   Synonyms:

   spree, indulgence

splurge British  

/ splɜːdʒ /

noun

1. an ostentatious display, esp of wealth

2. a bout of unrestrained extravagance

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verb

1. (often foll by on) to spend (money) unrestrainedly or extravagantly

Other Word Forms

• splurgily
  adverb
• splurgy
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of splurge

1820–30, perhaps blend of splash and surge

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.

Example Sentences

He still thinks that baby boomers, who are doing much better than other generations financially and aren’t willing to wait to splurge on fun, regardless of the macroeconomic backdrop, will put a floor under spending.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

A few years back, I stopped into my favorite vintage poster shop to splurge on a 1987 one-sheet for “Fatal Attraction,” designed by Polish artist Maciej Kalkus.

From Salon • Apr. 17, 2026

It’s nearly 90 degrees on a Saturday in South-Central and “sister dreamer lauren halsey’s architectural ode to tha surge n splurge of south central los angeles” is gleaming and activated.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

At Augusta National Golf Club, home of the annual golf tournament, the splurge doesn’t start with merch—it starts with access.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

I had a bit of money that I had saved and decided to splurge on some fresh meat, something I had not had in a long time.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela