adj, verb, slang ·Moderate ·High school level

Definitions

Verb

1. 1
   To put into a spread-eagle position, with arms and legs extended and spread. transitive
2. 2
   stretch out completely wordnet
3. 3
   To put one's body in a spread eagle. intransitive
4. 4
   defeat disastrously wordnet
5. 5
   stand with arms and legs spread out wordnet

Show 2 more definitions

6. 6
   execute a spread eagle on skates, with arms and legs stretched out wordnet
7. 7
   stretch over wordnet

Adjective

1. 1
   Lying with arms and legs outstretched and separated.
2. 2
   Characterized by a pretentious, boastful, exaggerated style; bombastic. colloquial, humorous

   "a spread-eagle orator"

Adjective

1. 1
   with arms and legs stretched out and apart wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

blow downblow overboastfulbowl overbring downcapsize

Etymology

From splayed-eagle (in heraldry), splayed + eagle.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.