extravaganza

noun

ex·​trav·​a·​gan·​za ik-ˌstra-və-ˈgan-zə 

1

: a lavish or spectacular show or event

2

: something extravagant

3

: a literary or musical work marked by extreme freedom of style and structure and usually by elements of burlesque or parody

Synonyms

• circus
• pageant
• raree-show
• spectacle
• spectacular

Examples of extravaganza in a Sentence

the over-the-top extravaganzas that are usually staged at halftime during the Super Bowl

Recent Examples on the Web

Guests will be able to enjoy their VQA Icewine and gourmet fare with a stunning immersive light and sound extravaganza, as well as get exclusive use of Niagara Parks’ legendary Tunnel that provides access to a viewing platform at the bottom of the iconic Niagara Falls. —Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

The worldwide extravaganza, which kicked off March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona, and will conclude on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver, was the first concert tour to rake in $1 billion, according to Pollstar—and this benchmark was surpassed a year ago. —Joyce Chen, Architectural Digest, 5 Dec. 2024

The name didn't stay gone for long, though, and the iconic holiday light extravaganza returned as Glendale Glitters in 2023. —Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 29 Nov. 2024

Then, of course, there were the models—led by It-Brits ranging from Rosemary Ferguson, a fixture on the runways of Cool Britannia, to Giselle Norman, a regular at Lagerfeld’s extravaganzas in the Grand Palais—both of whom were excited for a trip down memory lane. —Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Italian estravaganza, literally, extravagance, from estravagante extravagant, from Medieval Latin extravagant-, extravagans

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

extravaganza

noun

ex·​trav·​a·​gan·​za ik-ˌstrav-ə-ˈgan-zə 

: a spectacular show