lavishness

IPA/ˈlæv.ɪʃ.nəs/
IPA/ˈlæv.ɪʃ.nəs/

lavishness — noun

1. how extremely costly, beautiful, or grand something is, especially when it has b

1.名詞C1
釋義

how extremely costly, beautiful, or grand something is, especially when it has been designed to impress or show high status

例句

The lavishness of the palace amazed everyone who walked through its gates.

collocation: the lavishness of [place]

Manuela could not believe the lavishness of the hotel's main dining room.

同義詞
  • luxury

    more general term for expensive comfort; can refer to a category of goods rather than a quality

  • opulence

    slightly more formal; suggests great wealth and richness of decoration

  • sumptuousness

    focuses on rich, expensive detail; often used for food, decor, and fabrics

反義詞
  • simplicity

    plainness without decoration or expense

  • plainness

    ordinary look without any grand features

文法句型

the lavishness of [something]

用法筆記

This sense usually carries a positive or admiring tone. The thing being described is expensive but impressive in a way the speaker finds appealing.

常見錯誤

❌I was shocked by the lavishness of the ticket price.' (price alone is not typically 'lavish')
✅I was shocked by the lavishness of the reception hall.
💡lavishness describes the overall quality of something grand and costly, not a single price or number.

2. a state in which something is present in extremely large amounts, so that there

2.名詞C1
釋義

a state in which something is present in extremely large amounts, so that there is more than enough

例句

The lavishness of the flowers at the festival surprised even the organizers.

collocation: lavishness of [something in great quantity]

Nia had never seen such lavishness at a dinner table in her life.

同義詞
  • abundance

    more common word; less formal and used across many contexts

  • profusion

    formal; emphasizes that something is present in very large numbers

  • plenty

    simpler, everyday word; less emphatic about excess

反義詞
  • scarcity

    very small amount of something

  • paucity

    formal term for smallness of quantity

文法句型

lavishness of [food/decorations/gifts]

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (LUXURY), this meaning is neutral about cost — it simply points to very large quantity. The lavishness could be of flowers, food, decorations, or even natural things.

常見錯誤

❌There was a lavishness of people at the park.' (lavishness is not used for crowds of people)
✅There was a lavishness of food at the party.
💡use lavishness for objects and resources, not for people.

3. spending or using more money or resources than is sensible or necessary, often i

3.名詞C1
釋義

spending or using more money or resources than is sensible or necessary, often in a showy or careless way

例句

The board criticized the director for the lavishness of his spending on office furniture.

collocation: lavishness of [someone's] spending

Cyrus was known among his friends for the lavishness of his parties.

同義詞
  • extravagance

    more common word; very close in meaning but slightly less strong

  • prodigality

    formal; suggests wasteful, reckless spending

  • wastefulness

    straightforward; focuses on the unnecessary use of resources

反義詞
  • frugality

    careful use of money and resources

  • thrift

    habit of saving and spending wisely

文法句型

lavishness in [spending/behaviour]

用法筆記

This sense usually implies disapproval. The speaker or writer sees the spending as wasteful rather than simply impressive. Compare with sense 1 (LUXURY), which is admiring.

常見錯誤

❌The lavishness of the sunset was beautiful.' (lavishness is not used for natural beauty)
✅The lavishness of her spending caused financial problems.
💡lavishness in this sense is about humans using resources excessively.