What does "extreme" mean?
The greatest or utmost point, degree, or condition.
Extreme
/ɪkˈstɹiːm/ adj, adv, noun
adj, adv, noun ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The greatest or utmost point, degree, or condition.
- Grammar: extreme is listed as adj, adv, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: extremum, a bit much, abandon, abandoned.
- Useful contrasts: intermediate, average case, average score.
- Usage evidence: I don't want to lose my ideas, even though some of them are a bit extreme.
How to use "extreme"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "extreme" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "extreme" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "extreme" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "extreme" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "extreme" is acting as adj, adv, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "extremum" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "extreme", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The greatest or utmost point, degree, or condition.
"Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.[…]A silver snaffle on a heavy leather watch guard which connected the pockets of his corduroy waistcoat, together with a huge gold stirrup in his Ascot tie, sufficiently proclaimed his tastes.[…]But withal there was a perceptible acumen about the man which was puzzling in the extreme."
- 2 the furthest or highest degree of something wordnet
- 3 Each of the things at opposite ends of a range or scale.
"extremes of temperature"
- 4 the point located farthest from the middle of something wordnet
- 5 One of the last moments of life. obsolete, plural, plural-only
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A drastic expedient.
"Some people go to extremes for attention on social media."
- 7 Hardships, straits. obsolete, plural, plural-only
"a farther paſſion feeds my thoughts, With ceaſeleſſe and diſconſolate conceits, Which dies my lookes so liueleſſe as they are, And might, if my extreames had ful euents, Make me the gaſtly counterfeit of death."
- 8 Either of the two numbers at the ends of a proportion, as 1 and 6 in 1:2=3:6.
Adjective
- 1 Of a place, the most remote, farthest or outermost.
"At the extreme edges, the coating is very thin."
- 2 In the greatest or highest degree; intense.
"He has an extreme aversion to needles, and avoids visiting the doctor."
- 3 Excessive, or far beyond the norm.
"His extreme love of model trains showed in the rails that criscrossed his entire home."
- 4 Drastic, or of great severity.
"I think the new laws are extreme, but many believe them necessary for national security."
- 5 Of sports, difficult or dangerous; performed in a hazardous environment.
"Television has begun to reflect the growing popularity of extreme sports such as bungee jumping and skateboarding."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Ultimate, final or last. archaic
"the extreme hour of life"
Adjective
- 1 most distant in any direction wordnet
- 2 of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity wordnet
- 3 far beyond a norm in quantity or amount or degree; to an utmost degree wordnet
- 4 beyond a norm in views or actions wordnet
Adverb
- 1 Extremely. archaic
"In the empty and extreme cold theatre."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"I don't want to lose my ideas, even though some of them are a bit extreme."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "extreme"?
Common synonyms include: extremum, a bit much, abandon, abandoned, abnormal, absolute term.
How do you use "extreme" in a sentence?
I don't want to lose my ideas, even though some of them are a bit extreme.
How do you pronounce "extreme"?
Pronounced /ɪkˈstɹiːm/.
Etymology
Borrowed into late Middle English from Old French extreme, from Latin extrēmus, the superlative of exter.