Basic Details
Word: Extravagant
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Spending far more money than is sensible, or going well beyond what is reasonable, as in extravagant praise.
Synonyms: wasteful, lavish, excessive
Antonyms: thrifty, frugal, economical
How to Spell Extravagant
Syllables: ex - trav - a - gant
Tricky part: Every vowel after extr is an a. Extravagent, with an e near the end, is the slip most students make.
Watch out for: extravagent, extravegant, extravagint
Memory tip: It starts with extra, and then every vowel is an a: extr-a-v-a-g-a-nt. Extra money, extra a's.
Usage Examples
Example 1: Buying a new phone every six months is extravagant.
Example 2: The wedding had an extravagant fireworks show that went on for an hour.
Example 3: Dadi thinks paying three hundred rupees for coffee is extravagant.
Fun Fact
The word joins Latin extra, outside, and vagari, to wander: something extravagant has wandered outside sensible limits.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word extravagant as used in the sentence:
Rohit's extravagant spending on video games left him with no pocket money by the tenth.
a) thrifty
b) excessive
c) lavish
d) wasteful
Show answer
a) thrifty. Thrifty people count every rupee; extravagant ones spend freely.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
extr_v_g_nt
a) a, a, e
b) a, e, a
c) a, a, a
d) e, a, a
Show answer
c) a, a, a. All three missing letters are a: ex-trav-a-gant.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
After winning a prize at the fair, the shopkeeper threw an tvagexratna party for the whole lane.
a) extrovert
b) extravaganza
c) extravagant
d) exuberant
Show answer
c) extravagant. Extravaganza needs a z, and extrovert and exuberant have letters the jumble lacks, so it is extravagant.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which would be extravagant for a school picnic?
a) taking a ball
b) packing sandwiches
c) carrying water bottles
d) hiring a helicopter
Show answer
d) hiring a helicopter
2. An extravagant claim is one that ____.
a) goes far beyond what is believable
b) has been proved true by tests
c) is modest, careful and exact
d) is never said out loud
Show answer
a) goes far beyond what is believable
