lavish

Alternative forms

• lavis, laves, lavas (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English *lavish, laves, lavage (“extravagant, wasteful”), perhaps from Old French lavasse (“torrent of rain”), or from Middle English laven (“to pour out”). More at lave.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlævɪʃ/

• audio (us)

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• Rhymes: -ævɪʃ

Adjective

lavish (comparative lavisher or more lavish, superlative lavishest or most lavish)

1. Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal.

   lavish of money;   lavish of praise

   • 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 8, in The Celebrity:

     The day was cool and snappy for August, and the Rise all green with a lavish nature. Now we plunged into a deep shade with the boughs lacing each other overhead, and crossed dainty, rustic bridges over the cold trout-streams, the boards giving back the clatter of our horses' feet: […] .

   • 1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 4, in An Autobiography, part II, London: Collins, →ISBN:

     Mind you, clothes were clothes in those days. There was a great deal of them, lavish both in material and in workmanship.

2. Superabundant; excessive

   lavish spirits

   lavish meal

   • 1623, William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure Act 2 Scene 2

     Let her haue needfull, but not lauish meanes

Verb

lavish (third-person singular simple present lavishes, present participle lavishing, simple past and past participle lavished)

1. (transitive) To give out extremely generously; to squander.

   They lavished money on the dinner.

2. (transitive) To give out to (somebody) extremely generously.

   They lavished him with praise.

Related terms

• lavisher
• lavishly
• lavishness

Anagrams

• Vishal