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to lavish

to lavish

17 5.3
To give a lot of money, praise, or love to someone freely
  • verb
  • /ˈlævɪʃ/
translation icon : prodigar
  • Meanwhile, Saddam Hussein lavished oil revenues on palaces and resorts for his family and cronies.
  • lavished attention
  • lavished praise
  • lavished care

I need to lavish more attention and gifts on her.

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Examples

  • I was also a boy raised in a society that lavished far more attention on male children.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The worshipful respect the locals lavished upon her made her feel special.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • I need to lavish more attention and gifts on her.

  • The children themselves may have attention lavished on them for how they look or how they perform.

  • With the gold we lavish on David there's no money left for food.

  • He lavished affection on her, there is no doubt about that.

  • From the time Colonel Brandon meets Marianne, he just lavishes all this attention on her.

  • The central government already lavishes subsidies on the North Caucasus republics.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Gallagher recognized and applauded Johnson's talents, lavishing praise upon him in annual evaluations in spring 2000 and 2001.

    Academic text (2003)
  • He lavished praise on her after her impressive performance in the play.

Synonyms

to shower
vsto lavish
45 3.5

To give someone many gifts or much attention

is more general, meaning give or spend widely without restraint
to splurge
vsto lavish
  • Informal
19 7.0

To spend a lot of money to treat yourself

focuses on giving or spending broadly, not only self-indulgent purchases
to splash out
vsto lavish
  • UK
1 7.2

Spend a lot of money on something, usually to celebrate or treat yourself

means give or spend greatly but not always in a showy way
to push the boat out
vsto lavish
  • UK
1 8.7

Spend a lot of money for a special celebration

covers general giving or spending without restraint, not only special events

Compounds

1 3.4

A hotel with very fancy rooms, expensive furniture, and very good service

How Generous

to lavish
17 5.3
to shower
45 3.5
to donate
457 2.7
to give
1.0
to withhold
210 5.1

Surface Forms

lavish infinitive
lavished past
lavished past participle
lavishing present participle
lavishes third person singular

Etymology

The word lavish comes from an old French word for a 'flood' and from the Latin lavare 'to wash'. Picture 'washing' someone with gifts or praise, poured out like water, so to lavish someone is to give them a lot.