Main Entry:

¹ex·treme

Pronunciation:

\ik-ˈstrēm\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin extremus, superl. of exter, exterus being on the outside — more at exterior

Date:

15th century

1 a: existing in a very high degree <extreme poverty> b: going to great or exaggerated lengths : radical <went on an extreme diet> c: exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected <extreme weather conditions>2archaic : last3: situated at the farthest possible point from a center <the country's extreme north>4 a: most advanced or thoroughgoing <the extreme political left> b: maximum5 a: of, relating to, or being an outdoor activity or a form of a sport (as skiing) that involves an unusually high degree of physical risk <extreme mountain biking down steep slopes> b: involved in an extreme sport <an extreme snowboarder>

synonyms see excessive

— ex·treme·ness noun