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Glite Dictionary
💸 Wasteful spending 🎭 Excessiveness
extravagance

extravagance

7 6.8
Spending a lot of money in a wasteful way
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈstrævəɡəns/
translation icon : extravagancia
  • In a burst of extravagance, she had purchased a pink silk bonnet from the trader's store.
  • such extravagance

Oh Alf, what is your greatest extravagance?

Examples

  • Corruption and crony capitalism, extravagance and lavish spending had devastating effects on the economy and on society.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Dad had a particular aversion to extravagance and insisted on the compactness of the things around him.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Do you know, she was much hated for her extravagance in clothes.

    Reds (1981)

  • Whose extravagance is blamed for the desperate financial situation of France.

    Jefferson in Paris (1995)

  • I know it's a meaningless extravagance, but I had to have it.

    Manhattan (1979)

  • You must guard against this tendency to extravagance and ostentation.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The truth was that business reverses and Alfie's extravagance had led him into serious financial trouble.

    You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010)

  • Our one little extravagance is a live-in butler and housekeeper.

    The Jerk (1979)

  • Through her extravagances and gambling and spending she bankrupted him.

    Danger Signal (1945)

  • Her spending on the party decorations was a clear example of extravagance that shocked everyone at the event.

Synonyms

conspicuous consumption
vsextravagance
4 7.9

Buying expensive things to show others you have wealth or status

is excessive spending without the specific aim of public display
profligacy
vsextravagance
  • Formal
3 9.8

A very wasteful use of money or things that shows little care about cost

is broad excessive spending not limited to pleasure driven recklessness
wastefulness
vsextravagance
1 4.6

Using money or things carelessly in a way that causes extra loss

focuses on spending too much money rather than general inefficient use
squandering
vsextravagance
1 7.2

Using valuable things like time or money in a wasteful way

is about excess spending generally, not only the act of wasting resources
prodigality
vsextravagance
1 9.9

Spending a lot of money in a wasteful, careless way

is excessive spending in general rather than specifically reckless behavior
lavishness
vsextravagance
1 6.6

A way of using a lot of money or things to show wealth

is about excessive spending broadly, not necessarily luxurious abundance
spendthriftiness
vsextravagance
9.2

A habit of wasting money by buying things you do not need

refers to excessive spending as an act rather than a persistent habit
thriftlessness
vsextravagance
9.9

A habit of spending money and not saving for the future

describes one-off excessive spending instead of a persistent careless state
sumptuosity
vsextravagance
  • Formal
9.9

Very rich and costly display that shows great wealth

is excess spending more generally and not only costly luxury
dissaving
vsextravagance
  • Specialized
9.2

An act of spending more money than you earn by using money you put aside

is excessive spending in general rather than the accounting result of overspending

Antonyms

moderation
47 3.5

Keeping actions or feelings within reasonable limits

frugality
8 5.8

Careful use of money and things to avoid waste

How Extravagant

profligacy
  • Formal
3 9.8
wastefulness
1 4.6
extravagance
7 6.8
moderation
47 3.5
thrift
19 3.8

Surface Forms

extravagance singular
extravagances plural

Morphology

extravagance = extravagant (semi-transparent) = extra + vag + ant + ance

This is a regular abstract noun formation from the adjective 'extravagant', so the meaning of the noun follows directly from the base.

Etymology

Extravagance comes from the parts extra- 'outside' and vagari 'to wander'. So imagine money or things 'wandering outside' the usual limits, and that picture helps explain why extravagance means spending too much.