Definition of extravagantnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word extravagant different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of extravagant are excessive, exorbitant, extreme, immoderate, and inordinate. While all these words mean "going beyond a normal limit," extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste.

extravagant claims for the product

When is excessive a more appropriate choice than extravagant?

While the synonyms excessive and extravagant are close in meaning, excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.

excessive punishment

When would exorbitant be a good substitute for extravagant?

The synonyms exorbitant and extravagant are sometimes interchangeable, but exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree.

exorbitant prices

In what contexts can extreme take the place of extravagant?

While in some cases nearly identical to extravagant, extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree.

extreme shyness

Where would immoderate be a reasonable alternative to extravagant?

In some situations, the words immoderate and extravagant are roughly equivalent. However, immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint.

immoderate spending

When is it sensible to use inordinate instead of extravagant?

The meanings of inordinate and extravagant largely overlap; however, inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment.

inordinate pride

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of extravagant Arendt comes most fully alive, though, when Meyer lets her own extravagant, commanding voice carry the story forward. David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Ric Flair is known for his flamboyant promos and extravagant pro wrestling career that included several world championship runs across multiple promotions at his peak. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 In Germany, Russia, Portugal and beyond, these extravagant palaces of the past are now open to visitors. Rick Steves, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2026 One way to think about Mahler’s extravagant 90-minute exercise in his search for life’s meaning is as an exercise in attaining optimism in the face of tragedy. Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extravagant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extravagant
Adjective
  • Take a look at who is spending tax money responsibly — on ballfields, water-quality projects, help for victims of crime, no-kill animal shelters and other popular priorities — and who is being wasteful.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Republican response But conservatives said those policies inflated enrollment by attracting fraudulent and wasteful coverage.
    Christine Mai-Duc, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Carrying five tight ends is excessive, so there probably won’t be room for Fidone unless Theo Johnson’s shoulder injury is more serious than initially believed.
    Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Interestingly, patient education level or excessive punctuation had little impact.
    Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • But when shovels become too expensive, the miners start forging their own.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • West Virginia is the least expensive state, with an income of $81,245 for a single adult and $202,592 for a family of four.
    Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • China is also blocked from accessing ASML’s most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machines.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Intel is a slightly different case because it’s also caught up in the mania for chip stocks as spending on artificial intelligence creates extreme demand for semiconductors.
    Norah Rami, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The simple way to think about this product is a closer integration between Salesforce's library of customers' valuable data and the capabilities of the Claude model.
    Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The term describes how one’s actions have side effects that might be more valuable than the actions themselves, like a bee pollinating the world’s flowers while making honey for its hive.
    Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The new season has been absolutely insane through four episodes as the hunt to save Joe (Zoe Saldaña) from her kidnappers is underway.
    David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • If Gigi is malintentioned and insane and a homewrecker, there’s no story, right?
    Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • During Parcells’ reign over the Dolphins, players who made a costly error on game day often showed up for work the next day to find out they were fired.
    Omar Kelly August 30, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The floods will likely change that outlook, squeezing a country that’s heavily dependent on tourism while forcing a costly period of reconstruction.
    Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • As a chef at a fine dining restaurant inside a lavish Southern resort, Renee Boughman was surrounded by luxury.
    Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Jenner, known for splashing out on lavish events, turned to colorful rhinestone decor to celebrate the milestone, and even plastered gemstones across plastic cups and one of her two birthday cakes.
    Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Extravagant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extravagant. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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