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:
Plus, Ford chases its biggest military contract since the Cold War, and boaters splurge to make fishing yachts run like supercars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
We asked experts to share their ideas for less-crowded, but equally charming, destinations, as well as tips on how to splurge more wisely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
But with Big Tech companies scrambling to build data centers and willing to splurge on memory chips, Apple’s purchasing power no longer goes as far with its component suppliers.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
If I really want to splurge out and have what I think is the best sushi in the Valley, then I visit Sushi Tomoki, which is on Cahuenga.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Can’t she buy a dress or splurge $2.50 to get her hair dyed?
From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario
A lack of updating, rising mall rents and splurges on new businesses weakened its business until it declared bankruptcy in 2014.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
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
It was these surprises—and the splurges I couldn’t afford while living there—that offered some of the trip’s best experiences.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
Also he likes to have me kid him about bein' such a finicky dresser, for while he never splurges on anything sporty, he's always neat and well dressed.
From Torchy and Vee by Ford, Sewell
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
Stomach gnawing and hands slightly shaky, I loaded up on ephemera for fancy paninis, held together with swipes of giardiniera mayo, and splurged on some pastel-hued botanical sodas for drinking straight from the can.
From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2026
John scored quarter-zip sweaters for himself and his father-in-law, and his wife splurged on a tweed jacket for Christmas Day.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
The disco lights, which were splurged out on for these European nights, flashed towards the Frenchman.
From BBC ● Dec. 11, 2025
Five weeks before Brooke arrived, on her seventh day on Martha’s Vineyard, Jule splurged and took a tourist bus around the island.
From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart
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.
