Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Spending much more than is necessary or wise; wasteful: Characterized by excessive or careless expenditure of money or resources.
   • Exceeding reasonable limits; excessive: Going beyond what is reasonable, justifiable, or conventional, especially in behavior, expression, or design.
   • Lavish, elaborate, or fantastic: Rich, ornate, or unrestrained in style, appearance, or imagination.

Usage and Examples

• Describing wasteful spending:

  • He was criticized for his extravagant lifestyle, which quickly depleted his inheritance.
  • The company's extravagant budget for the office party raised eyebrows among the shareholders.

• Describing something excessive or beyond limits:

  • She made an extravagant claim about the product's abilities that could not be proven.
  • His extravagant gestures of affection sometimes made her feel uncomfortable.

• Describing something elaborate or luxurious:

  • The ballroom was decorated in an extravagant style, with gold leaf and crystal chandeliers.
  • The chef prepared an extravagant ten-course meal for the guests.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "to be extravagant with something": To use something (often money, time, or resources) in a wasteful or overly generous manner.

  • She is extravagant with praise, complimenting everyone she meets.

• Used to intensify a description: Can emphasize the extreme degree of a quality, often negative.

  • The project failed due to extravagant mismanagement. (Here, it intensifies the poor quality of management.)

Variants and Related Words

• Extravagance (noun): The quality of being extravagant; an instance of excessive spending or an elaborate item.
  • The wedding was a display of pure extravagance.
• Extravagantly (adverb): In an extravagant manner.
  • They lived extravagantly beyond their means.

Synonyms

• Wasteful: Using or expending something carelessly.
• Excessive: More than is necessary, normal, or desirable.
• Lavish: Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious.
• Profligate: Recklessly extravagant or wasteful.
• Over-the-top (informal): Excessive or exaggerated.

Antonyms

• Frugal: Sparing or economical with regard to money or food.
• Modest: Unassuming in the estimation of one's abilities or achievements; not excessive.
• Restrained: Characterized by reserve or moderation.
• Thrifty: Using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully.

Idioms and Common Phrases

• Extravagant to a fault: So extravagant that it becomes a character flaw or problem.
  • His generosity is extravagant to a fault; he never saves any money for himself.

Adjective

1. recklessly wasteful
   • prodigal in their expenditures
2. unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings
   • extravagant praise
   • exuberant compliments
   • overweening ambition
   • overweening greed