Dictionary

extravagance en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ɪkˈstɹævəɡən(t)s/
• /ɛkˈstɹævəɡən(t)s/

Etymology

Borrowed from French extravagance, from Medieval Latin extra + vagor (“to wander”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Excessive or superfluous expenditure of money.
2. (countable, uncountable) Prodigality, as of anger, love, expression, imagination, or demands.
   • The visions of romance were over. Catherine was completely awakened. Henry’s address, short as it had been, had more thoroughly opened her eyes to the extravagance of her late fancies than all their several disappointments had done. 1803, Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey:
   • A great bargain also had been the excellent Axminster carpet which covered the floor; as, again, the arm-chair in which Bunting now sat forward, staring into the dull, small fire. In fact, that arm-chair had been an extravagance of Mrs. Bunting. She had wanted her husband to be comfortable after the day's work was done, and she had paid thirty-seven shillings for the chair. 1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter I, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0016:
   • At the same time he will need most carefully to avoid anything resembling extravagance or overstatement. While no socialist heorist has ever been known to discredit himself with his fellows even by the silliest of proposals, the old-fashioned liberal will damn himself by an impracticable suggestion. 1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 430:
3. (countable, uncountable) Something extravagant; something done out of extravagance.
   • That luxury car is an extravagance you can't afford.
   • There were no limos or extravagances at this point, because we all wanted to make as much money as possible. We played it cheap. No huge catering bills, no wild parties, not even upgraded hotel rooms. Whenever we arrived at an airport Robin would be there to meet us in a rented SUV or big sedan, and we'd head to the gig on our own. 2010, Jeff Dunham, All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed, and Me:

Forms

Antonyms

economize · frugality · moderation

Relateds

extravagancy · extravagantly · extravaganza · extravagancies · extravagate · extravagation

Synonyms

waste · irregularity · unreasonableness · lavishness · wildness · excess · prodigality · profusion · recklessness

Translations (40)

ru расточительство (excessive expenditure) · ar إِسْرَاف (excessive expenditure) · ivv kawaw (prodigality) · fr extravagance (prodigality) · fi ylenpalttisuus (prodigality) · fi tuhlailu (excessive expenditure) · pl przesada (something extravagant) · cmn 揮霍 /挥霍 (excessive expenditure) · nl buitensporigheid (prodigality) · ar سَرَف (excessive expenditure) · fr extravagance (something extravagant) · el χλιδή (excessive expenditure) · ca extravagància (excessive expenditure) · cmn 過度 /过度 (prodigality) · cmn 過分 /过分 (prodigality) · ja 贅沢 (excessive expenditure) · el υπερβολή (excessive expenditure) · fr extravagance (excessive expenditure) · ar تَبْذِير (excessive expenditure) · gd ana-caitheamh (excessive expenditure) · gd ana-caitheamh (prodigality) · ca extravagància (prodigality) · cmn 奢侈 (excessive expenditure) · yi גוזמאדיקייט (excessive expenditure) · fi ylenpalttisuus (something extravagant) · ro risipă (prodigality) · fa ولخرجی (excessive expenditure) · bg разточителство (excessive expenditure) · cmn 奢侈品 (something extravagant) · ro extravaganță (excessive expenditure) · eo ekstravaganco (something extravagant) · ru транжирство (excessive expenditure) · bg чудатост (prodigality) · pl rozrzutność (prodigality) · ga anchaitheamh (excessive expenditure) · es extravagancia (prodigality) · cmn 鋪張浪費 /铺张浪费 (something extravagant) · tl kabulagsakan (prodigality) · pl ekstrawagancja (excessive expenditure) · la prōdigentia (excessive expenditure)