What does "extremity" mean?
The most extreme or furthest point of something.
Extremity
/ɪkˈstɹɛmɪti/ noun
noun ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The most extreme or furthest point of something.
- Grammar: extremity is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: appendage, abandon, abstract, aching heart.
- Useful contrasts: mid, center, mediety.
- Usage evidence: He was driven to the last extremity.
How to use "extremity"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "extremity" 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 "extremity" 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 "extremity" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "extremity" 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 "extremity" is acting as 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 "appendage" 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 "extremity", 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 most extreme or furthest point of something. countable, uncountable
"[B]eſtowe your love on him, who, were it not to do you ſervice, would through the extremitie of love rather wiſh to die then live."
- 2 an external body part that projects from the body wordnet
- 3 An extreme measure. countable, uncountable
"The Fort on the Mount St. Catherine after a Month's Siege was reduc'd to ſuch Extremitys, that they who defended it were forc'd to treat about a Surrender: and Aug. 29. 'twas agreed between the Engliſh Commiſſioners, Edward Earl of Mortaigne, Thomas Earl of Salisbury, and Fitz-Hugh, and the French Commiſſioners, the Sieur Nobles Lieutenant of Guy de Bouteil, which the Sieurs De Buſſon and de Graville, in the Name of the Gariſon, that they would deliver up the Abby and Fortreſs of St. Catherine on the Thurſday following, on condition of having only their Lives ſpar'd."
- 4 that part of a limb that is farthest from the torso wordnet
- 5 A hand or foot. countable, uncountable
"Guillain–Barré syndrome causes one to not be able to move one’s extremities."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 the outermost or farthest region or point wordnet
- 7 A limb (“major appendage of a human or animal such as an arm, leg, or wing”). countable, uncountable
"The danger of wounds of the extremities consists in the injury done to the blood-vessels, nerves, articulations, and bones."
- 8 the greatest or utmost degree wordnet
- 9 an extreme condition or state (especially of adversity or disease) wordnet
Example
"He was driven to the last extremity."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "extremity"?
Common synonyms include: appendage, abandon, abstract, aching heart, acme, acuteness.
How do you use "extremity" in a sentence?
He was driven to the last extremity.
How do you pronounce "extremity"?
Pronounced /ɪkˈstɹɛmɪti/.
Etymology
From Middle English extremite, from Old French extremité, from Latin extrēmitātem (“extremity; border, perimeter; ending”), from extrēmīs (“furthest, extreme”) + -itās (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts (suffix forming nouns indicating a state of being); see extreme. Extrēmīs is derived from exter (“external, outward”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵʰs (“out”)) + -issimus (superlative suffix) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-is- (comparative suffix) + *-(t)m̥mo- (absolutive case suffix)).