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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 Adrien Brody is known for wearing extravagant brooches by jewelry designer Elsa Jin, while brooches were worn by Jeff Goldblum, Joe Alwyn and Robert Downey Jr. Nadja Sayej, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025 Everyone is still chasing the Dodgers, the defending World Series champs with an extravagant payroll and a stunning collection of future Hall of Fame talent. Patrick Mooney, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025 But a show of appreciation doesn’t have to be big, expensive or extravagant to have a meaningful effect, says leadership consultant and resilience expert Paula Davis. Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2025 Even Chicago, a city with famously extravagant St. Patrick's Day festivities, doesn't have the history to match. Jessica Farthing, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for extravagant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extravagant
Adjective
  • Lower taxes, less regulation, eliminating bureaucracy and wasteful spending allows business to thrive.
    Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Rubin’s reporting for the San Francisco Chronicle, NPR and Capital & Main has led to state laws protecting workers from lead poisoning and has exposed wasteful spending.
    Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Hurlburt said excessive rainfall in 2023 resulted in an excessive number of closures along parts of the shoreline.
    Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 17 Mar. 2025
  • While many in the Vatican have held up St. John Paul II’s long and public battle with Parkinson’s disease and other ailments as a humble sign of his willingness to show his frailties, others criticized it as excessive and glorifying sickness.
    Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The cheapest adult season ticket at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium costs £856, with the most expensive costing £2,367.
    Elias Burke, The Athletic, 21 Mar. 2025
  • But maybe the big winners were simply the most expensive films?
    Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • While the Midwest and the South are bracing for possible severe storms Friday and Saturday, on Thursday there was a critical risk of fire in Texas and other parts of the Great Plains — and the extreme danger will continue into the weekend.
    Phil Helsel, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Some, like the Allen's hummingbird, tricolored blackbird and saltmarsh sparrow, are at extreme risk without immediate intervention, says the report, released Thursday.
    Sarah Metz, CBS News, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The research suggests that situational awareness may emerge naturally as AI systems become more powerful and economically valuable.
    Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Neither of those wideouts are superstars, but either would provide a valuable veteran presence.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Your voice is insane.
    Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com, al, 4 Apr. 2023
  • The Republican and right-wing reaction is just insane.
    Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 31 Mar. 2023
Adjective
  • Ekman-Larsson was relatively quiet but took a costly penalty after a scrum that probably never should’ve happened.
    Nick Ashbourne, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • However, the company will need to adjust its pricing and service offerings along with significant operational changes which can be costly and time consuming.
    Joe Cornell, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Follow Lewis for a deep dive into the world of luxury hotels, cruises, lavish spas, gourmet restaurants, and more.
    Lewis Nunn, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Stay Here: Opening its lavish doors in 1887, Hotel Splendide Royale calls to mind the gilded age of travel with its glamorous details, like dense drapery in the guest rooms and wallpaper that coordinates with the bedspreads.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Extravagant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extravagant. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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