splurge
Americanverb (used without object)
-
splurges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
splurged,
past participle, past
-
splurging
present participle
-
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)
-
splurges,
present (3rd person singular)
-
splurged,
past participle, past
-
splurging
present participle
noun
-
splurges
plural
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:
Can they finally afford to splurge in their golden years?
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
Alaska Airlines, fresh off its merger with Hawaiian Airlines and trying to catch up with its bigger rivals, is making a big push for travelers looking to splurge on travel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
We see him splurge on face massages and ice baths more than we see him act.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Lower starting prices give customers flexibility, letting budget-conscious diners stay under $15 while leaving room to splurge on more premium menu items such as salmon or steak.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
I pull some money out, thinking I might splurge on a long-distance call.
From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz
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
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
"I've told you I am a detective, and I don't do my business by splurges."
From Two Wonderful Detectives Jack and Gil's Marvelous Skill by Harlan Page Halsey
Robert Prati splurged on business-class tickets for a trip to Europe in late July.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Then, in 2017, the pop star splurged on an adjacent townhouse, paying $18 million for the three-story mansion measuring 5,000 square feet.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
The giant wad of cash splurged on all this would choke an elephant.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
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
My grandfather, not knowing he was soon to be fired, had splurged on four tickets to The Minotaur, playing at the Family.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
They’re splurging on computer hardware and espresso machines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
The first few glimpses at the economy in the third quarter appear to show Americans scaling back after splurging in the spring.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
In Scottish terms, Rangers' American owners have spent colossal money, splurging tens of millions on the creation of a team, and an environment, that can win a league and do something in Europe.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Well-heeled travelers are splurging to avoid hordes and hassles inside the airport.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
