lavish
Americanadjective
-
expended, bestowed, or occurring in profusion.
lavish spending.
- Synonyms:
- wild, unrestrained, wasteful, unreasonable, thriftless, intemperate, improvident, immoderate, extravagant, excessive
-
using or giving in great amounts; prodigal (often followed byof ).
lavish of his time;
lavish of affection.
- Synonyms:
- unsparing, openhanded, munificent, liberal, free, effusive, bountiful, generous
- Antonyms:
- tight-fisted, tight, stingy, parsimonious, miserly, cheap
verb (used with object)
-
lavishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
lavished,
past participle, past
-
lavishing
present participle
adjective
-
prolific, abundant, or profuse
-
generous; unstinting; liberal
-
extravagant; prodigal; wasteful
lavish expenditure
verb
Synonym Usage
Lavish, prodigal, profuse refer to that which exists in abundance and is poured out copiously. Lavish suggests (sometimes excessive) generosity and openhandedness: lavish hospitality; much too lavish. Prodigal suggests wastefulness, improvidence, and reckless impatience of restraint: a prodigal extravagance. Profuse emphasizes abundance, but may suggest overemotionalism, exaggeration, or the like: profuse thanks, compliments, apologies.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
lavishernoun
-
lavishmentnoun
-
lavishnessnoun
-
overlavishnessnoun
-
overlavishadjective
-
unlavishadjective
-
unlavishedadjective
-
lavishlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
lavishsimple
-
lavishessimple
-
have lavishedperfect
-
has lavishedperfect
-
am lavishingprogressive
-
are lavishingprogressive
-
is lavishingprogressive
-
have been lavishingperfect progressive
-
has been lavishingperfect progressive
Past
-
lavishedsimple
-
had lavishedperfect
-
was lavishingprogressive
-
were lavishingprogressive
-
had been lavishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of lavish
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English lavas “profusion” (noun), “profuse” (adjective), from Middle French lavasse, lavache “downpour of rain,” derivative of laver “to wash,” from Latin lavāre
Explanation
Lavish means "generous and extravagant" as an adjective and "to give generously" as a verb. If you don't like it when people lavish you with attention, you might appreciate a lavish spread of excellent food instead. Lavish comes from the Old French lavache meaning "deluge, torrent," referring to rain. When you see it, think of a shower of good things coming down on you as you never use lavish with something bad. Didn't your parents lavish you with praise and love when you were small? With lavish as an adjective, you can rephrase that question like this: Didn't your parents offer you lavish praise and love when you were little?
Vocabulary lists containing lavish
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Grade 9, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
There’s a culture at the time of lavish gift-giving to diplomats and foreign officials, and he’s just terrified that officers of the United States will be beholden and influenced by foreigners.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
The draw for this summer's World Cup was a long, lavish and outlandish affair.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
The action tears through the estate’s lavish rooms, turning paintings, candelabras and fabric into improvised weapons before ending with a splash in the pool.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Sprawling across 7,190 square feet, the lavish abode also boasts a saltwater pool, a tennis court, a greenhouse, an antique barn, a treehouse, and other features.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Like all the previous discs, this one begins with her birthday party, a lavish private affair somewhere in Scotland.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
He lavishes attention on the more culturally salient story of Riefenstahl but muddles its significance in a playful, morally uncommitted approach that perhaps might be more satisfying with supplemental biographical material.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2024
“For this reason, I wish in my first encyclical to speak of the love which God lavishes upon us, and which we in turn must share with others.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2022
The virtuosity Wilson lavishes on a composer he is determined to restore to stature is stunning, no matter how many times you hear it.
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2022
A daughter serves as mistress of ceremonies in the dining room, and his wife lavishes attention on the salads and sweets, including a divine cheesecake whose crust fuses dates and ground pistachios.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 25, 2022
He lavishes attention on the great storm-colored beast and her tiny rider from the moment we meet in the morning until the moment they disappear for the parade.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Some cabinet members, like Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, lavished the president with adulation in their comments.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
He had no patience for what he didn’t like, but when he was in the presence of something he adored, he lavished his attention and could rise to his own level of greatness.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
Buffett has lavished praise on the executive for his preternatural ability to craft offbeat policies, including insuring Chicago’s tallest building against terrorist attacks and Pepsi against having to award a $1 billion raffle prize.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
Most Silicon Valley companies at the time lavished their top engineering talent with free lunches, on-site dry cleaning, nap pods and other luxury amenities.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 4, 2026
Think of gold infused on silver by a craftsman, whose fine art Hephaistos taught him, or Athena: one whose work moves to delight: just so she lavished beauty over Odysseus’ head and shoulders.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
Allies hope to avoid a blow-up in Turkey by showcasing new spending and deals, and lavishing on hospitality.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Daphne and Eddie magnanimously turn the other cheek and then go back to lavishing one another with murmured compliments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
She’s made headlines for lavishing praise on Clarence Thomas in the past.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026
In exchange for lavishing billions of dollars upon MLB teams over the last couple of decades, local television providers demanded exclusivity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2024
At all events," said Stapylton, sharply, "it could be no interest of yours to see an old—an old acquaintance lavishing his money on lawyers and in the pursuit of the most improbable of all results.
From Barrington Volume I (of II) by Charles James Lever
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
