extreme

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪkˈstɹim/ UK /ɪkˈstɹiːm/ See IPA manual

Freq #3530

Meanings

1

adj
Very great in degree or intensity.

The climbers faced extreme cold near the top of the mountain.
2

adj
Far beyond what is normal or reasonable; severe or drastic.

Many people felt the new laws were too extreme.
3

adj
Holding views or taking actions that are far from moderate.

He belongs to an extreme political group.
4

noun
The greatest or most distant point or degree of something.

His moods swing from one extreme to the other.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · very great in degree or... utmost greatest

2 adj · far beyond what is normal... drastic severe excessive

More ferocious highest intense maximal maximum passing raging ultimate uttermost

Opposites

intermediate least

Word family

Forms extremerextremesextremest

Derived forms antiextremeextremalextremelessextremenessextremifyextremisationextremizationextremizeextremogramextremophileextremophiliaextremotolerant

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

extreme point
a location at the farthest edge of something

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Extreme entered English in late Middle English through Old French from Latin extremus, literally “outermost.” Extremus was the superlative of Latin exterus, meaning “outer.”

Etymology

Borrowed into late Middle English from Old French extreme, from Latin extrēmus, the superlative of exter.

extreme Old French extrēmus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# extreme

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪkˈstɹim/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪkˈstɹiːm/
**Frequency rank:** 3530

## Meanings
1. Very great in degree or intensity.
2. Far beyond what is normal or reasonable; severe or drastic.
3. Holding views or taking actions that are far from moderate.
4. The greatest or most distant point or degree of something.

## Examples
- The climbers faced extreme cold near the top of the mountain.
- Many people felt the new laws were too extreme.
- He belongs to an extreme political group.
- His moods swing from one extreme to the other.

## Synonyms
- ferocious
- greatest
- highest
- intense
- maximal
- maximum
- passing
- raging
- ultimate
- utmost
- uttermost

## Antonyms
- intermediate
- least

## Derived Forms
- antiextreme
- extremal
- extremeless
- extremeness
- extremify
- extremisation
- extremization
- extremize
- extremogram
- extremophile
- extremophilia
- extremotolerant

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: extreme
- Root: extrēmus

## Etymology
Borrowed into late Middle English from Old French extreme, from Latin extrēmus, the superlative of exter.

## AI Etymology
Extreme was borrowed into late Middle English from Old French extreme, from Latin extrēmus, the superlative of exter. In current use, the main senses are “Very great in degree or intensity” and “Far beyond what is normal or reasonable; severe or drastic”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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