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
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an ostentatious display, esp of wealth
-
a bout of unrestrained extravagance
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have splurgedperfect
-
has splurgedperfect 3rd person singular
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are splurgingprogressive
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have been splurgingperfect progressive
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has been splurgingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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splurgingparticiple
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am splurgingprogressive 1st person singular
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splurgessingular 3rd person
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is splurgingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had splurgedperfect
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were splurgingprogressive plural
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splurgedsimple
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was splurgingprogressive singular
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had been splurgingperfect progressive
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splurgedparticiple
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.
Meanwhile, a last-minute splurge on tickets requires a firm grasp of your household finances and may mean giving up other things you want, such as eating out and shopping, for a while.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
That said, if there’s one group stage game to splurge on, it’s the June 26 showdown between France and Norway in Boston, aka Mbappé vs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
If you want to splurge, there’s a meet-and-greet with Gibson plus VIP Platinum admission for $739.38, including tax and fees.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
How did such a splurge leave an unbalanced team?
From BBC • May 30, 2026
I pull some money out, thinking I might splurge on a long-distance call.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
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.
