Lavish LAV'ISH, a. [I know not from what source we have received this
word. It coincides in elements with L. liber, free, liberal, and lavo, to
wash.] 1. Prodigal; expending or bestowing with profusion; profuse. He
was lavish of expense; lavish of praise; lavish of encomiums; lavish
of censure; lavish of blood and treasure. 2. Wasteful; expending
without necessity; liberal to a fault. 3. Wild; unrestrained.
Curbing his lavish spirit. LAV'ISH, v.t. 1. To expend
or bestow with profusion; as, to lavish praise or encomiums. 2. To
waste; to expend without necessity or use; to squander; as, to lavish
money on vices and amusements.
lavish
adj 1: very generous; "distributed gifts with a lavish hand";
"the critics were lavish in their praise"; "a munificent
gift"; "his father gave him a half-dollar and his mother
a quarter and he thought them munificent"; "prodigal
praise"; "unsparing generosity"; "his unstinted
devotion"; "called for unstinting aid to Britain" [syn:
lavish, munificent, overgenerous, too-generous,
unsparing, unstinted, unstinting]
2: characterized by extravagance and profusion; "a lavish
buffet"; "a lucullan feast" [syn: lavish, lucullan,
lush, plush, plushy]
v 1: expend profusely; also used with abstract nouns; "He was
showered with praise" [syn: lavish, shower]
lavish I. adjectiveEtymology: Middle English laves, lavage, probably from Middle
French lavasse, lavache downpour of rain, from laver to wash
— more at lavageDate: 15th century 1. expending or
bestowing profusely ;prodigal2.a. expended or produced in abundance b. marked by profusion
or excess
Synonyms:seeprofuse • lavishlyadverb
• lavishnessnounII. transitive verbDate: 1542
to expend or bestow with profusion ;squander
lavish adj. & v. --adj. 1 giving or producing in large quantities; profuse. 2 generous, unstinting. 3 excessive, over-abundant. --v.tr. (often foll. by on) bestow or spend (money,
effort, praise, etc.) abundantly. Derivatives: lavishly adv. lavishness n. Etymology: ME f. obs. lavish, lavas (n.) profusion f. OF lavasse deluge of rain f. laver wash
lavish
(lavishes, lavishing, lavished)
1. If you describe something as lavish, you mean that it is very elaborate and impressive
and a lot of money has been spent on it.
...a lavish party to celebrate Bryan's fiftieth birthday...He staged the most lavish productions of Mozart...ADJ
• lavishly...the train's lavishly furnished carriages.ADV: ADV with v
2. If you say that spending, praise, or the use of something is lavish, you mean that
someone spends a lot or that something is praised or used a lot.
Critics attack his lavish spending and flamboyant style...The book drew lavish praise from literary critics.= extravagant
ADJ
3. If you say that someone is lavish in the way they behave, you mean that they give,
spend, or use a lot of something.
American reviewers are lavish in their praise of this book...He was always a lavish spender.ADJ: oft ADJ in/with n
• lavishlyEntertaining in style needn't mean spending lavishly.ADV: ADV with v
4. If you lavish money, affection, or praise on someone or something, you spend
a lot of money on them or give them a lot of affection or praise.
Prince Sadruddin lavished praise on Britain's contributions to world diplomacy...The emperor promoted the general and lavished him with gifts.VERB: V n on/upon n, V n with n
Lavish \Lav"ish\ (l[a^]v"[i^]sh), a. [Akin to E. lave to lade
out; cf. AS. gelafian to refresh, G. laben.]
1. Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal; as,
lavish of money; lavish of praise.
2. Superabundant; excessive; as, lavish spirits.
Let her have needful, but not lavish, means. --Shak.
Syn: Profuse; prodigal; wasteful; extravagant; exuberant;
immoderate. See Profuse.
Lavish \Lav"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Lavished (-[i^]sht); p.
pr. & vb. n. Lavishing.]
To expend or bestow with profusion; to use with prodigality;
to squander; as, to lavish money or praise.
lavish
I. a.
Profuse, prodigal, thriftless, unthrifty, wasteful, extravagant, too free, over-liberal.
II. v. a.1. Waste, squander, dissipate, spend lavishly.
2. Bestow prodigally, pour out.
lavish
ˈlævɪʃ adj.
1 profuse, abundant, liberal, copious, plentiful, prolific, opulent: He wore a silk
tunic with lavish gold embroidery.
2 generous, liberal, open-handed, unstinting, bountiful, unsparing, unselfish, effusive,
free: She showered the most lavish gifts on her children.
3 extravagant, wasteful, exaggerated, prodigal, improvident, excessive, unreasonable,
immoderate, profligate, uncurbed, unrestrained, intemperate: The council was accused of lavish
overspending on the civic centre. --v.
4 squander, waste, throw away, dissipate, spend, expend, sink: We lavished a fortune on
the gardens.
5 shower, bestow, thrust, heap, pour: Granny always lavished gifts on us.
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