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>
2 archaic : last
3 : 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 : maximum
5 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