What does extravagance mean?
Word: Extravagance
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Extravagance means spending far more money than is sensible, or something costly that you do not really need.
Synonyms: wastefulness, lavishness, luxury, excess
Antonyms: economy, frugality
How do you spell extravagance?
Syllables: ex - trav - a - gance
Tricky part: Every vowel after the tr is an a until the final e. Students often write extravagence because the last vowel sounds like a weak e.
Watch out for: extravagence, extravegance, extravagans
Memory tip: Count the a's after the x: there are three, in tra, va and ga, and no e appears until the very last letter.
Extravagance in a sentence
Example 1: Buying a new phone every year is an extravagance our family cannot afford.
Example 2: The wedding was famous for its extravagance, with ten kinds of sweets.
Example 3: Grandpa says his only extravagance is a good cup of filter coffee.
Fun Fact
Extravagant comes from the Latin extra, outside, and vagari, to wander, so it first meant wandering outside the usual limits.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word extravagance as used in the sentence:
The king's extravagance left the royal treasury almost empty within ten years.
a) glamour
b) pomp
c) thrift
d) grandeur
Show answer
c) thrift. Grandeur, pomp and glamour all go with lavish spending; thrift, careful saving, is the word on the other side.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
extravaga__e
a) n, c
b) n, t
c) m, c
d) n, s
Show answer
a) n, c. The ending is nce, the same as in distance and balance.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. occurence 2. accomodation 3. extravagance 4. embarasment
a) lavish spending on things not needed
b) an event that takes place
c) a place where you stay or live
d) a feeling of shame or awkwardness
Show answer
a) lavish spending on things not needed. All three others are short of a letter: accomodation an m, embarasment an r and an s, occurence an r. Extravagance is complete.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Hiring a band for a small birthday party seemed an gnaxrcatevae to Grandma.
a) extravaganza
b) elegance
c) extravagance
d) exuberance
Show answer
c) extravagance. The jumble has a c but no z, so extravaganza is out; exuberance and elegance are too short for twelve letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would be an extravagance for most families?
a) a gold-plated phone case
b) a pair of school shoes
c) a pack of school pencils
d) a monthly electricity bill
Show answer
a) a gold-plated phone case
2. Extravagance and extravaganza look alike. An extravaganza is ____.
a) a careful plan for saving money
b) a small and simple family meal
c) a grand, showy entertainment
d) a quiet walk in the evening
Show answer
c) a grand, showy entertainment
