extravagance

/ɪkˈstrævəɡəns/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪkˈstrævəɡəns/ (ame, ipa) · /ik-ˈstra-vi-gən(t)s/ (ame, mw)

extravagance — 名詞

  • extravagancesingular
  • extravagancesplural

1. the habit of using up far more money than is sensible or than your situation rea

1.名詞C1
釋義

揮霍；浪費

花費超出需要或負擔能力的習慣

the habit of using up far more money than is sensible or than your situation really allows.

例句

Romi warned her sister about the extravagance of buying three handbags in one weekend.

Romi 警告妹妹，一個週末買三個手提包實在太揮霍了。

extravagance of + V-ing for criticised spending behaviour

After the wedding bills arrived, Feng admitted his extravagance had emptied their savings.

婚禮帳單寄到後，Feng 承認自己的揮霍已經把存款花光了。

possessive + extravagance for personal spending habit

同義詞
  • wastefulness

    neutral focus on resources wasted; less moralising than extravagance

  • profligacy

    formal; stronger condemnation, often of public or large-scale spending

  • lavishness

    can be positive (generous hosting); extravagance is almost always negative

反義詞
  • thrift

    approving term for careful, economical spending

  • frugality

    approving; deliberate restraint in spending

文法句型

extravagance of/in [activity]

用法筆記

Usually uncountable in this sense and carries clear disapproval; pairs with possessives or qualifiers like 'such' / 'sheer' / 'the' to label the behaviour.

常見錯誤

❌He has a big extravagance for new cars.
✅He has a weakness for new cars, and his extravagance has become a problem.
💡sense 1 is an uncountable habit, not a countable taste.

2. a costly item that someone treats themselves to, even though their budget cannot

2.名詞C1
釋義

奢侈品

為犒賞自己而買的昂貴物品

a costly item that someone treats themselves to, even though their budget cannot really stretch to it.

例句

Hoa bought a silk scarf in Paris as a small extravagance for her birthday.

Hoa 在巴黎買了一條絲巾，當作給自己的小奢侈品。

a + extravagance as countable noun for one indulgent purchase

The leather armchair was an extravagance, but Kabir had wanted one for years.

那張皮製扶手椅算是奢侈品，但 Kabir 已經想要好幾年了。

predicative: X was an extravagance

同義詞
  • indulgence

    milder; emphasises pleasure rather than the high price

  • splurge

    informal; the act of spending rather than the item itself

  • luxury

    broader; can be a regular pleasure, while an extravagance is more occasional

反義詞
  • necessity

    something you have to buy, the opposite of an indulgent purchase

文法句型

a/an + extravagance

extravagance for [person]

用法筆記

Countable here, unlike sense 1; the speaker often softens the disapproval (calling it 'small', 'little', or 'my one'), framing the purchase as a justified treat.

常見錯誤

❌I bought many extravagance at the mall.
✅I bought several extravagances at the mall.
💡sense 2 is countable and pluralises with -s.