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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 In a post to his personal Twitter account, Newsom later took a shot at the president’s penchant for pricey capital outlays to extravagant ends. Tom Tapp, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025 Li described herself as having a lifelong suspicion of all forms of emotional melodrama, stemming from her experience as a child in China listening to propagandist operas, in which singers made extravagant claims of adoration and allegiance. Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025 The all-new show retells the story of the Greek zero to hero with modern music, larger-than-life numbers, extravagant costumes, and a stellar cast led by Cory Bradford as Hercules. Megan Dubois, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025 In July 2020, Marissa shared a series of photos from her and Trevor's extravagant engagement. Caitlyn Hitt, PEOPLE, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for extravagant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extravagant
Adjective
  • What are these wasteful projects doing?
    Steve Inskeep, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Insurers have long argued that prior authorization reduces fraud and wasteful spending, as well as prevents potential harm.
    Lauren Sausser, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • On Sunday, a 15% chance of flash flooding from excessive rainfall exists along the coast from Ocean City, Maryland to Cape Cod.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The problem arises when excessive dust, dirt, and hair accumulate around the coils, preventing them from performing their job adequately.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • For a ski station closer to Tokyo and less expensive than Niseko, try Nekoma Mountain in Fukushima province.
    Kristin Braswell, AFAR Media, 7 Oct. 2025
  • In typical hypercar fashion, the car just sat there in the parking lot looking pretty and expensive during the parade and didn't move.
    Keenan Thompson, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The bank estimates that two-thirds of the population are living in extreme poverty — less than $3 a day.
    Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The ocean anomaly has also been associated with extreme weather events, including droughts; warmer ocean temperatures can also generally help hurricanes develop more rapidly, and exacerbate fires, says Pastelok.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Undoubtedly, there are players with potential and talent at Tuchel’s disposal, but very little valuable experience in a position that requires more maturity and discipline.
    Rob Tanner, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The aftermath of that tragedy taught him a valuable life lesson about how the chaos of the world could affect the global financial sector.
    Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Despite being found guilty, Gein was also declared insane and unable to stand trial.
    Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch Smart TV is a living room flex with its insane color, crisp contrast, and movie-theater-like sound.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • These mistakes are not only costly on a game-by-game basis because their suspension ramifications, particularly in a Chelsea squad already carrying several defensive injuries, are key.
    Simon Johnson, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The project will help Arkansas deal with an increase in freight volume, without costly roadway expansion, while supporting safer and smarter infrastructure, according to a company news release.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The science, literature and economics prizes are presented to the laureates by the Swedish king at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, followed by a lavish banquet at city hall.
    USA Today, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Liz and Dick fell in love on the set of Cleopatra, the ridiculously expensive and lavish epic love story of the ancient Egyptian queen and the Roman general Mark Antony.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Extravagant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extravagant. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

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