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extreme

extreme

125 4.2
The farthest point or highest level of something
  • noun
  • /ɪkˈstrim/
translation icon : extremo
  • "To anyone unfamiliar with the extremes of alcoholism, it is a terrifying sight.
  • temperature extremes
  • avoid extremes
  • take to extremes

And they will go to any extreme to tell you that he isn't.

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Examples

  • Most companies struggle to find some point between these two extremes, and that is not easily done.

    Academic text (1990)
  • The country's basic political power lies at the center, not the extremes, of the ideological spectrum.

    Academic text (1990)
  • And those people are at the extreme, at least in the West.

  • But I think the question is about the extreme storms and the drought.

  • The 27 athletes who scored at each extreme were chosen for further analysis.

    Academic text (1999)
  • And those are the two extremes that were unable to see truth.

  • It's hard to make housing that will keep you comfortable in both extremes, especially without electricity.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • He goes to extremes to protect his privacy.

  • Most Jews fall somewhere between these extremes, valuing Jewish distinctiveness but also identifying strongly with Danish culture.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The marathon runner pushed herself to the extreme of her abilities to finish the race.

Synonyms

limit
vsextreme
432 1.0

The greatest amount or number allowed

can mean the greatest allowed amount but also denotes the farthest physical point
boundary
vsextreme
136 3.4

The limit of how far or how much something can go

is wider, also meaning the furthest point itself or highest degree
highest point
vsextreme
11 3.7

The top level that something reaches

also applies to the farthest extent in space or degree
upper limit
vsextreme
7 3.2

The highest allowed amount or value of something

is more general, including physical extremes as well as maximum values
extremity
vsextreme
2 6.8

The farthest edge of an area or place

includes both farthest points and greatest degrees rather than only physical edges
max
vsextreme
  • Informal
2 6.5

At the highest possible level

is the neutral term for the farthest point or greatest degree
extremeness
vsextreme
1 7.0

How far something goes beyond normal limits

focuses more on specific farthest points or greatest degrees rather than quality
ne plus ultra
vsextreme
  • Formal
1 9.9

The best or most perfect example of something

is the neutral term for farthest point or greatest degree
extreme point
vsextreme
  • Specialized
5.4

A point farthest from the center of something

covers that spatial farthest point and also nonphysical highest degrees
ultimateness
vsextreme
9.9

The final, most extreme level of something

is broader, naming the farthest point or greatest degree generally

Idioms

To kill someone secretly and without pity

Compounds

extreme violence
  • Offensive
3 4.2

Very serious physical harm that is bloody and shocking

A person with very strict traditional political views who strongly opposes social change

extreme unction
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A ceremony in which a priest puts oil on a dying person and prays for them

extreme point
  • Specialized
5.4

A point farthest from the center of something

Surface Forms

extreme singular
extremes plural

Etymology

Extreme comes from the Latin extremus, which means 'outermost' or 'far end', and is related to the common word extra meaning 'outside'. So, an extreme is a place or degree at the very far end of something.