Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act or habit of spending money in an excessive or wasteful way: Refers to the behavior of using money far beyond what is necessary or reasonable.
   • The quality of being excessive, elaborate, or beyond normal limits: Describes something that is unreasonable, exaggerated, or lacking restraint in nature, appearance, or description.
   • An instance of excessive spending or an excessively costly item: A specific thing bought or an amount spent that is considered wasteful or luxurious beyond need.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • His extravagance with the company budget eventually led to his dismissal. (His wasteful spending of the company budget...)
  • The extravagance of the wedding decorations was breathtaking. (The excessive elaborateness of the decorations...)
  • Buying a sports car was an extravagance he could not really afford. (The sports car was an instance of excessive spending...)

Advanced Usage

• "to indulge in extravagance": to allow oneself the luxury of spending excessively.

  • On their anniversary, they decided to indulge in extravagance and booked a suite at a luxury hotel.

• "sheer/pure extravagance": used to emphasize that something is completely wasteful or excessive.

  • Flying first class for a two-hour flight is sheer extravagance.

Variants and Related Words

• Extravagant (adj): spending too much money or using too much of something; exceeding what is reasonable or appropriate.

  • She was criticized for her extravagant lifestyle.

• Extravagantly (adv): in an extravagant manner.

  • He spent extravagantly on gifts.

Synonyms

• Lavishness: the quality of being very generous or extravagant in giving or spending.
• Profligacy: reckless extravagance or wastefulness in the use of resources.
• Excess: an amount of something that is more than necessary, permitted, or desirable.

Antonyms

• Frugality: the quality of being economical with money or food; thriftiness.
• Moderation: the avoidance of excess or extremes, especially in one's behavior.
• Restraint: a measure or condition that keeps someone or something under control.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "a mere extravagance": something considered an unnecessary luxury.

  • For a student on a budget, eating out every day is a mere extravagance.

• "cry extravagance": to complain that something is too costly or wasteful.

  • The opposition cried extravagance when the government announced the new monument's price tag.

Noun

1. excessive spending
2. the trait of spending extravagantly
3. the quality of exceeding the appropriate limits of decorum or probability or truth
   • we were surprised by the extravagance of his description