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
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have splurgedperfect
-
has splurgedperfect 3rd person singular
-
are splurgingprogressive
-
have been splurgingperfect progressive
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has been splurgingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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splurgingparticiple
-
am splurgingprogressive 1st person singular
-
splurgessingular 3rd person
-
is splurgingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had splurgedperfect
-
were splurgingprogressive plural
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splurgedsimple
-
was splurgingprogressive singular
-
had been splurgingperfect progressive
-
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.
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
His one warning to anyone considering the Emirates splurge: “Once you do this, it’s going to be really hard to fly any other way for the rest of your life,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 5, 2026
How did such a splurge leave an unbalanced team?
From BBC • May 30, 2026
That renewed confidence will now be tested by collectors’ willingness to splurge on trophy art.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
I was neither, but under the circumstances, I was willing to splurge a little.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
