Definition of exorbitantnext

Synonym Chooser

How is the word exorbitant different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of exorbitant are excessive, extravagant, extreme, immoderate, and inordinate. While all these words mean "going beyond a normal limit," exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree.

exorbitant prices

When might excessive be a better fit than exorbitant?

Although the words excessive and exorbitant have much in common, excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.

excessive punishment

When would extravagant be a good substitute for exorbitant?

The words extravagant and exorbitant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste.

extravagant claims for the product

When could extreme be used to replace exorbitant?

The meanings of extreme and exorbitant largely overlap; however, 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 exorbitant?

The words immoderate and exorbitant can be used in similar contexts, but immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint.

immoderate spending

When can inordinate be used instead of exorbitant?

The synonyms inordinate and exorbitant are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 exorbitant Assuming he isn’t traded, which is highly unlikely given his exorbitant salary, LaVine will play out the final year of his contract in Sacramento before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Predatory towing, which can include booting and towing at exorbitant prices, affects residents, small business owners and truck drivers across Charlotte. Laura Horne, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026 Part of the problem is a loophole that allows trade schools to charge exorbitant prices for brief, often rudimentary classes. Andrew Ba Tran, Washington Post, 22 July 2026 As for coming to America in 2026, who would shoulder the exorbitant costs and the travel challenges, let alone the risk of being pulled out of a line at the Atlanta airport, interrogated, and sent back home for joking about penalty shoot-outs? Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for exorbitant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exorbitant
Adjective
  • This past weekend saw Monterey Car Week at perhaps its most excessive ever.
    Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The ranchers said the park service saddled them with excessive rules and regulations.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Madrid asked everyone involved to move with extreme discretion.
    Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • This problem is anticipated to worsen as more AI providers adopt watermarking, creating a fertile environment for scams and deception, thus users are urged to exercise extreme caution.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Both efforts targeted science and engineering talent, fields where the military has long struggled to fill critical jobs because of steep academic requirements.
    Steven Beynon, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • This has led to a shrinking pool of available units at a time when competition is increasingly steep, Zumper found.
    Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 17 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The metaverse, an extravagant bet on a weird virtual future, flopped.
    Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Arendt comes most fully alive, though, when Meyer lets her own extravagant, commanding voice carry the story forward.
    David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • If that insane offer doesn’t plug the leak, the fire sale begins.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a big memory for me as a kid, so having that happen is insane.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Exorbitant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exorbitant. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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