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:
That means magic shows in a mystical basement, karaoke in a lavish tiki bar, and live immersive theater parties in the main room, like its Halloween weekend event “The Dark Weekend.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
India's most expensive film - a lavish retelling of the Hindu epic Ramayana, made in two parts for a reported $500m - has opened in cinemas worldwide, sparking enormous expectations and mixed reviews.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
It drew the spotlight in 2024, when Anant's lavish pre-wedding celebrations there brought Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Ivanka Trump as guests, with Rihanna performing.
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
In August 2025, Lorre scooped up a lavish home in the desirable Los Angeles neighborhood of Bel-Air.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
Now his lavish home included landscaped gardens, an expensive Jaguar sports car in the driveway, and a maid.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
The compassionate attention she lavishes on her gentle, troubled protagonist opens up an entire world, if you’re willing to take in what’s been hiding in plain sight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 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
On his debut album, Jonathan Tetelman lavishes his sumptuous tenor and almost poetic attention on classic Romantic and verismo arias.
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2022
Her mouth is masked, but her eyes transmit the kind of relish a jeweler lavishes on a billionaire.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 22, 2021
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
Last week Melania Trump unveiled a women's health program in a press conference in the White House Rose Garden alongside her husband, who lavished praise on her.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
Michael Carrick struck a chord with many Manchester United fans as he lavished praise on Kobbie Mainoo after his side's thrilling 5-2 victory over Ipswich at Old Trafford, calling the midfielder's performance "immense".
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Trump, at a recent Group of Seven summit in France, lavished praise on the U.A.E. president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Some cabinet members, like Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, lavished the president with adulation in their comments.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
Could she be jealous of all this tender attention lavished on the Incorrigibles, who, despite their adorable eccentricities and mysterious background, were really perfect strangers to Miss Mortimer?
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Even with the health scares, David and Martha said becoming grandparents has created some of the happiest moments of their lives, and they are enjoying lavishing attention on Cedar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026
Wall Street hasn’t exactly been lavishing the stock with praise lately.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
She’s made headlines for lavishing praise on Clarence Thomas in the past.
From Slate ● Apr. 10, 2026
But that zeal for lavishing cash did not carry over to the school’s athletic department, which ranked fourth from the bottom of the conference with just $16 million in donations over the same period.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2024
I was handed to the coach by his Lordship, who took that opportunity of condemning Sir William's want of taste; and lavishing the utmost encomiums on your Julia—with whom they passed as nothing.
From The Sylph, Volume I and II by Georgiana Cavendish
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