extreme
1 of 2adjective
ex·treme ik-ˈstrēm 
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 (such 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
extremeness noun
extreme
2 of 2noun
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
Synonyms
Adjective
- farthermost
- farthest
- furthermost
- furthest
- outermost
- outmost
- remotest
- ultimate
- utmost
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective The plant is sensitive to extreme heat and cold. They are living in extreme poverty. She went on an extreme diet. Many thought that the punishment was too extreme for the crime. The plan was rejected as too extreme. This is an extreme example of what can happen when a company grows too quickly. He has extreme opinions when it comes to politics. Members of the extreme right opposed the legislation. Noun After spending lavishly for years, the company has now gone to the opposite extreme and has cut expenses drastically. His mood changed from one extreme to the other. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2022 Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to increase extreme weather events and more frequent, destructive wildfires. Ashley R. Williams, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2022 That view was given some scientific backing Thursday from World Weather Attribution, an initiative for climate researchers to collaborate for rapid assessment of whether climate change caused extreme weather events. Saeed Shah, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Big Tech’s role in disinformation spread because, despite the extreme events of the US Capitol riot, adequate federal response has been lacking. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2022 Experts say the storm was caused in part by the record-high temperatures that have plagued China since June, among a series of extreme weather events that scientists link to climate change. Karina Tsui, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 According to The Times’ drought tracker, more than 97% of the state is now under severe, extreme or exceptional drought, the three worst categories. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2022 Some Democrats argue that their efforts merely serve to inform voters about extreme views held by GOP candidates in advance of the general election. Annie Linskey, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Sep. 2022 Severe and even extreme drought set in this summer in southern New England and remains in some areas, while up north parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are in a moderate drought or are abnormally dry. Lisa Rathke, Hartford Courant, 10 Sep. 2022 Brandon Mercer, Chron, 16 Sep. 2022 One Yankee fan on Monday night went to the extreme with his concessions. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 22 Aug. 2022 The other extreme is the rare mineral spheniscidite, which forms only when the urine of penguins (order Sphenisciformes, hence the mineral name) reacts with clay minerals beneath a rookery on Elephant Island in the British Antarctic Territory. David Bressan, Forbes, 2 July 2022 Instead, the show bogs down in the it's-not-easy-being-green comedy and emphasis on quirkiness, feeling episodic in the extreme, after the obligatory origin story is out of the way. Brian Lowry, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022 Perhaps as befits a site so thoroughly contaminated, the history of Santa Susana is ugly in the extreme. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2022 Over the years, certain swaths of the Star Wars fandom have revealed themselves to be exactly that: backward-bound in the extreme, and thus unwelcoming of transformation. Wired, 14 July 2022 Some riders are professional athletes, others simply recreational cyclists with an interest in the extreme. New York Times, 4 July 2022 Anyone who regularly uses the web will find that a search can result in a wave of seemingly endless targeted ads based on data collection efforts – and last month, it was reported that Facebook may have taken that to a new extreme. Peter Suciu, Forbes, 10 July 2022 See More
Adjective
The researchers went one step further to investigate how future warming may affect these kinds of extreme rainfall events in the coming years. Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2022 Scientists say climate change has made the West warmer and drier over the last three decades and will continue to increase extreme weather events and more frequent, destructive wildfires. Ashley R. Williams, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2022 That view was given some scientific backing Thursday from World Weather Attribution, an initiative for climate researchers to collaborate for rapid assessment of whether climate change caused extreme weather events. Saeed Shah, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2022 Big Tech’s role in disinformation spread because, despite the extreme events of the US Capitol riot, adequate federal response has been lacking. Ashley Belanger, Ars Technica, 14 Sep. 2022 Experts say the storm was caused in part by the record-high temperatures that have plagued China since June, among a series of extreme weather events that scientists link to climate change. Karina Tsui, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 According to The Times’ drought tracker, more than 97% of the state is now under severe, extreme or exceptional drought, the three worst categories. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2022 Some Democrats argue that their efforts merely serve to inform voters about extreme views held by GOP candidates in advance of the general election. Annie Linskey, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Sep. 2022 Severe and even extreme drought set in this summer in southern New England and remains in some areas, while up north parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are in a moderate drought or are abnormally dry. Lisa Rathke, Hartford Courant, 10 Sep. 2022 Noun
Both burger chains do a fairly good job of maintaining a minimalist menu, with In-N-Out taking it to the extreme. Brandon Mercer, Chron, 16 Sep. 2022 One Yankee fan on Monday night went to the extreme with his concessions. Mark Heim | Mheim@al.com, al, 22 Aug. 2022 The other extreme is the rare mineral spheniscidite, which forms only when the urine of penguins (order Sphenisciformes, hence the mineral name) reacts with clay minerals beneath a rookery on Elephant Island in the British Antarctic Territory. David Bressan, Forbes, 2 July 2022 Instead, the show bogs down in the it's-not-easy-being-green comedy and emphasis on quirkiness, feeling episodic in the extreme, after the obligatory origin story is out of the way. Brian Lowry, CNN, 17 Aug. 2022 Perhaps as befits a site so thoroughly contaminated, the history of Santa Susana is ugly in the extreme. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2022 Over the years, certain swaths of the Star Wars fandom have revealed themselves to be exactly that: backward-bound in the extreme, and thus unwelcoming of transformation. Wired, 14 July 2022 Some riders are professional athletes, others simply recreational cyclists with an interest in the extreme. New York Times, 4 July 2022 Anyone who regularly uses the web will find that a search can result in a wave of seemingly endless targeted ads based on data collection efforts – and last month, it was reported that Facebook may have taken that to a new extreme. Peter Suciu, Forbes, 10 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin extremus, superlative of exter, exterus being on the outside — more at exterior
First Known Use
Adjective
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Phrases Containing extreme
Kids Definition
extreme 1 of 2
adjective
ex·treme ik-ˈstrēm
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
extreme
2 of 2noun
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.
extreme 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in farthest
most distant from a center spacecraft that is specially designed to explore the extreme edge of our solar system Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- farthest
- remotest
- furthest
- outmost
- ultimate
- outermost
- utmost
- furthermost
- farthermost
- sternmost
- rearmost
- aftermost
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- innermost
- middle
- nearest
- intermediate
- medial
- mid
- inmost
- median
- midmost
2
as in radical
being very far from the center of public opinion their extreme political views attracted only a small band of followers Synonyms & Similar Words
- radical
- rabid
- revolutionary
- extremist
- ultra
- fanatical
- violent
- fanatic
- wild
- revolutionist
- subversive
- reactionary
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- moderate
- conservative
- traditional
- conventional
- temperate
- progressive
- unrevolutionary
- middle-of-the-road
- liberal
- nonrevolutionary
- orthodox
3
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount in their extreme zeal the members of the cult are willing to do whatever their leader dictates Synonyms & Similar Words
- excessive
- insane
- steep
- extravagant
- infinite
- endless
- undue
- intolerable
- inordinate
- lavish
- exorbitant
- immoderate
- unbearable
- baroque
- unconscionable
- fancy
- unmerciful
- inappropriate
- devilish
- overweening
- overmuch
- overextravagant
- plethoric
- stiff
- overdue
- improper
- towering
- over the top
- unwarranted
- unjustifiable
- limitless
- boundless
- immeasurable
- a bit much
- unseemly
- unrestrained
- thick
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- moderate
- reasonable
- inadequate
- modest
- insufficient
- minimal
- deficient
- minimum
- middling
- temperate
extreme
2 of 2noun
1
as in extremity
Synonyms & Similar Words
- extremity
- pinnacle
- peak
- apex
- zenith
- top
- acme
- height
- tip
- apogee
- culmination
- high noon
- high
- vertex
- climax
- summit
- sum
- high-water mark
- crest
- prime
- meridian
- crown
- noon
- crescendo
- noontime
- glory
- capstone
- heyday
- tip-top
- flower
- flood tide
- bloom
- roof
- ceiling
- blossom
- ne plus ultra
- cap
- head
- highlight
- highspot
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- abyss
- base
- minimum
- foot
- bottom
- nadir
- rock bottom
2
as in most
Synonyms & Similar Words
- most
- maximum
- max
- utmost
- ultimate
- best
- outside
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- least
- minimum
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of extreme are excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, immoderate, and inordinate. While all these words mean "going beyond a normal limit," extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree.
extreme shyness
Although the words excessive and extreme have much in common, excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.
excessive punishment
The words exorbitant and extreme are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree.
exorbitant prices
The meanings of extravagant and extreme largely overlap; however, extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste.
extravagant claims for the product
The words immoderate and extreme can be used in similar contexts, but immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint.
immoderate spending
While the synonyms inordinate and extreme are close in meaning, inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment.
inordinate pride