First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
1extreme
adjective ex·treme \ik-ˈstrēm\
: very great in degree
: very serious or severe
: very far from agreeing with the opinions of most people : not moderate
Full Definition of EXTREME
1
a : existing in a very high degree <extreme poverty> b : going to great or exaggerated lengths : radical <went on an extreme diet> c : exceeding the ordinary, usual, or expected <extreme weather conditions>
2
archaic : last
3
: situated at the farthest possible point from a center <the country's extreme north>
4
a : most advanced or thoroughgoing <the extreme political left> b : maximum
5
a : of, relating to, or being an outdoor activity or a form of a sport (as skiing) that involves an unusually high degree of physical risk <extreme mountain biking down steep slopes> b : involved in an extreme sport <an extreme snowboarder>
— ex·treme·ness noun
See extreme defined for English-language learners
See extreme defined for kids
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Origin of EXTREME
Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin extremus, superl. of exter, exterus being on the outside — more at exterior
Related to EXTREME
Synonym Discussion of EXTREME
excessive, immoderate, inordinate, extravagant, exorbitant, extreme mean going beyond a normal limit. excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable <excessive punishment>. immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint <immoderate spending>. inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment <inordinate pride>. extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste <extravagant claims for the product>. exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree <exorbitant prices>. extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree <extreme shyness>.
Rhymes with EXTREME
abeam, agleam, airstream, berseem, beseem, bireme, blaspheme, bloodstream, centime, coal seam, cold cream, crossbeam, daydream, downstream, dream team, drill team, egg cream, esteem, French seam, grapheme, Gulf Stream, hakim, headstream, high beam, hornbeam, I beam, ice cream, inseam, jet stream, kilim, lexeme, live steam, low beam, mainstream, midstream, millime, millstream, moonbeam, morpheme, onstream, phoneme, pipe dream, redeem, regime, rhyme scheme, sealed-beam, sememe, sidestream, slipstream, sour cream, sunbeam, supreme, tag team, Tarim, third-stream, toneme, trireme, unseam, upstream, warp beam, wet dream
2extreme
noun
: either one of two opposite conditions, feelings, positions, etc., that are thought of as being far from what is normal or reasonable
: an amount or degree that is far beyond what is normal or reasonable
Full Definition of EXTREME
1
a : something situated at or marking one end or the other of a range <extremes of heat and cold> b : the first term or the last term of a mathematical proportion c : the major term or minor term of a syllogism
2
a : a very pronounced or excessive degree b : highest degree : maximum
3
: an extreme measure or expedient <going to extremes>
— in the extreme
: to the greatest possible extent
See extreme defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of EXTREME
1555
EXTREME Defined for Kids
1extreme
adjective ex·treme \ik-ˈstrēm\
Definition of EXTREME for Kids
1
: very great in degree or severity <extreme heat> <extreme poverty>
2
: farthest away <the extreme edge>
3
: more demanding or dangerous than normal <extreme sports>
— ex·treme·ly adverb
2extreme
noun
Definition of EXTREME for Kids
1
: something as far as possible from a center or from its opposite <extremes of heat and cold>
2
: the greatest possible degree : maximum <He pushed the athletes to the extreme.>
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