extreme

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ex·treme

(ĭk-strēm′)

adj.

1. Most remote in any direction; outermost or farthest: the extreme edge of the field.

2. Being in or attaining the greatest or highest degree; very intense: extreme pleasure; extreme pain.

3. Being far beyond the norm: an extreme conservative. See Synonyms at excessive.

4. Of the greatest severity; drastic: took extreme measures to conserve fuel.

5. Biology

a. Characterized by severe, usually oxygen-poor environmental conditions.

b. Having an affinity for such conditions: an extreme microorganism.

6. Sports

a. Very dangerous or difficult: extreme rafting.

b. Participating or tending to participate in a very dangerous or difficult sport: an extreme skier.

7. Archaic Final; last.

1. The greatest or utmost degree or point.

2. Either of the two things situated at opposite ends of a range: the extremes of boiling and freezing.

3. An extreme condition.

4. An immoderate, drastic expedient: resorted to extremes in the emergency.

5. Mathematics

a. The first or last term of a ratio or a series.

b. A maximum or minimum value of a function.

6. Logic The major or minor term of a syllogism.

Idiom:

in the extreme

To an extreme degree: eccentric in the extreme.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin extrēmus; see eghs in Indo-European roots.]

ex·treme′ly adv.

ex·treme′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

extreme

(ɪkˈstriːm)

adj

1. being of a high or of the highest degree or intensity: extreme cold; extreme difficulty.

2. exceeding what is usual or reasonable; immoderate: extreme behaviour.

3. very strict, rigid, or severe; drastic: an extreme measure.

4. (prenominal) farthest or outermost in direction: the extreme boundary.

5. (Physical Geography) meteorol of, relating to, or characteristic of a continental climate

6. the highest or furthest degree (often in the phrases in the extreme, go to extremes)

7. (often plural) either of the two limits or ends of a scale or range of possibilities: extremes of temperature.

8. (Mathematics) maths

a. the first or last term of a series or a proportion

b. a maximum or minimum value of a function

9. (Logic) logic the subject or predicate of the conclusion of a syllogism

[C15: from Latin extrēmus outermost, from exterus on the outside; see exterior]

exˈtremeness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ex•treme

(ɪkˈstrim)

adj. -trem•er, -trem•est,
n. adj.

1. going well beyond the ordinary or average: extreme measures.

2. exceedingly great in degree: extreme joy.

3. farthest from the center or middle.

4. utmost in direction or distance.

5. immoderate; radical: extreme fashions.

6. last; final: extreme hopes.

7. Chiefly Sports. extremely dangerous or difficult: extreme skiing.

8. a very high degree: cautious to an extreme.

9. one of two things as different from each other as possible: the extremes of joy and grief.

10. an extreme act, measure, or condition: the extreme of poverty.

11. Math.

a. the first or the last term, as of a proportion or series.

b. a relative maximum or relative minimum value of a function in a given region.

12. the subject or the predicate of the conclusion of a syllogism.

[1425–75; late Middle English < Latin extrēmus, superlative of exterus outward. See exterior]

ex•treme′ly, adv.

ex•treme′ness, n.

ex·treme

(ĭk-strēm′)

Either the first or fourth term of a proportion of four terms. In the proportion ²/₃ = ⁴/₆ , the extremes are 2 and 6. Compare mean.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	extreme - the furthest or highest degree of something; "he carried it to extremes" degree, level, grade - a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality; "a moderate grade of intelligence"; "a high level of care is required"; "it is all a matter of degree"
	2.	extreme - the point located farthest from the middle of something extreme point, extremum extremity - the outermost or farthest region or point apex, acme, vertex, peak - the highest point (of something); "at the peak of the pyramid"
Adj.	1.	extreme - of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity; "extreme cold"; "extreme caution"; "extreme pleasure"; "utmost contempt"; "to the utmost degree"; "in the uttermost distress" utmost, uttermost intense - possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree; "intense heat"; "intense anxiety"; "intense desire"; "intense emotion"; "the skunk's intense acrid odor"; "intense pain"; "enemy fire was intense"
	2.	extreme - far beyond a norm in quantity or amount or degree; to an utmost degree; "an extreme example"; "extreme temperatures"; "extreme danger" immoderate - beyond reasonable limits; "immoderate laughter"; "immoderate spending"
	3.	extreme - beyond a norm in views or actions; "an extreme conservative"; "an extreme liberal"; "extreme views on integration"; "extreme opinions" immoderate - beyond reasonable limits; "immoderate laughter"; "immoderate spending"
	4.	extreme - most distant in any direction; "the extreme edge of town" distant - separated in space or coming from or going to a distance; "distant villages"; "the sound of distant traffic"; "a distant sound"; "a distant telephone call"

extreme

adjective

1. great, high, highest, greatest, worst, supreme, acute, severe, maximum, intense, ultimate, utmost, mother of all (informal), uttermost people living in extreme poverty
great common, average, traditional, ordinary, reasonable, moderate, modest, mild, unremarkable

2. severe, radical, strict, harsh, stern, rigid, dire, drastic, uncompromising, unbending The scheme was rejected as being too extreme.

3. radical, unusual, excessive, exceptional, exaggerated, outrageous, over the top (slang), unreasonable, uncommon, unconventional, fanatical, zealous, out-and-out, inordinate, egregious, intemperate, immoderate, O.T.T. (slang) his extreme political views
radical moderate

4. farthest, furthest, far, final, last, ultimate, remotest, terminal, utmost, far-off, faraway, outermost, most distant, uttermost the room at the extreme end of the corridor
farthest nearest

noun

1. limit, end, edge, opposite, pole, ultimate, boundary, antithesis, extremity, acme a `middle way' between the extremes of success and failure

in the extreme extremely, very, highly, greatly, particularly, severely, terribly, ultra, utterly, unusually, exceptionally, extraordinarily, intensely, tremendously, markedly, awfully (informal), acutely, exceedingly, excessively, inordinately, uncommonly, to a fault, to the nth degree, to or in the extreme The television series has proved controversial in the extreme.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

extreme

adjective

1. Most distant or remote, as from a center:

farthermost, farthest, furthermost, furthest, outermost, outmost, ultimate, utmost, uttermost.

2. Of the greatest possible degree, quality, or intensity:

supreme, transcendent, ultimate, unsurpassable, utmost, uttermost.

3. Exceeding a normal or reasonable limit:

excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, immoderate, inordinate, overabundant, overmuch, undue.

4. Holding especially political views that deviate drastically and fundamentally from conventional or traditional beliefs:

extremist, fanatic, fanatical, rabid, radical, revolutionary, ultra.

Slang: far-out.

noun

1. The ultimate point to which an action, thought, discussion, or policy is carried:

end, length, limit.

2. Either of the two points at the ends of a spectrum or range:

limit.

Translations

Spanish / Español

Select a language:

extremo colmo extremado

extreme

[ɪksˈtriːm]

A. ADJ

1. (= very great) [heat, danger, poverty, discomfort] → extremo; [care, caution] → sumo, extremo; [sorrow, anger] → profundo, enorme
a matter of extreme importance → una cuestión de suma importancia
in extreme old age → en or a una edad muy avanzada

2. (= exceptional) [case, circumstances] → extremo

3. (= radical) [views, opinion] → extremista; [behaviour] → extremado; [method, action, measure] → extremo
the extreme left/right (Pol) → la extrema izquierda/derecha
to be extreme in one's opinions → tener opiniones extremistas
there's no need to be so extreme → no es necesario llegar a esos extremos

4. (= furthest) [point,] → extremo
the extreme opposite → el extremo opuesto
winds from the extreme north → vientos de la región más septentrional
the room at the extreme end of the corridor → la habitación al final del todo del pasillo

B. N → extremo m
she's a woman of extremes → es una mujer de extremos
to be driven to extremes → verse obligado a tomar medidas extremas
to go to extremes → tomar medidas extremas
to go to any extreme → llegar a cualquier extremo
to go from one extreme to the other → pasar de un extremo al otro
to take or carry sth to extremes → llevar algo al extremo
extremes of temperature → las temperaturas extremas
in the extreme (frm) → en extremo, en sumo grado

C. CPD extreme sports NPL → deportes mpl de aventura, deportes mpl extremos
extreme unction N (Rel) → extremaunción f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

extreme

(ikˈstriːm) adjective

1. very great, especially much more than usual. extreme pleasure; He is in extreme pain.extremo

2. very far or furthest in any direction, especially out from the centre. the extreme south-western tip of England; Politically, he belongs to the extreme left.extremo

3. very violent or strong; not ordinary or usual. He holds extreme views on education.extremo

noun

1. something as far, or as different, as possible from something else. the extremes of sadness and joy.extremo

2. the greatest degree of any state, especially if unpleasant. The extremes of heat in the desert make life uncomfortable.extremo

exˈtremely adverb

very. extremely kind.extremadamente

exˈtremism noun

the holding of views which are as far from being moderate as possible. extremismo

exˈtremist noun, adjective

extremista

exˈtremity (-ˈstre-) – plural exˈtremities – noun

1. the farthest point. The two poles represent the extremities of the earth's axis.extremo

2. an extreme degree; the quality of being extreme. Their suffering reached such extremities that many died.extremo

3. a situation of great danger or distress. They need help in this extremity. situación extrema

4. the parts of the body furthest from the middle eg the hands and feet. extremidades

in the extreme

very. dangerous in the extreme.en extremo

to extremes

very far, especially further than is thought to be reasonable. She can never express an opinion without going to extremes. llegar a extremos

extreme

→ extremo

extreme

a. extremo-a, excesivo-a; último-a;

adv. extremadamente, excesivamente; sumamente.

References in classic literature ?

"All extremes are bad," the Professor said, very gravely.

View in context

The first was to obey the laws and customs of my country, adhering firmly to the faith in which, by the grace of God, I had been educated from my childhood and regulating my conduct in every other matter according to the most moderate opinions, and the farthest removed from extremes, which should happen to be adopted in practice with general consent of the most judicious of those among whom I might be living.

View in context

The two extremes were regular cotes gauches and cotes droits.

View in context

This was the extreme southern limit reached by that daring traveller.

View in context

For the last three or four miles the road ran along the extreme precipitous verge of cliffs that sloped, a giant's wall of grassy mountain, right away down to a dreamy amethystine floor of sea, miles and miles, as it seemed, below.

View in context

After sauntering along for some time he discovered the Hare by the wayside, apparently asleep, and seeing a chance to win pushed on as fast as he could, arriving at the goal hours afterward, suffering from extreme fatigue and claiming the victory.

View in context

Stremov, carrying with him several members, went over to Alexey Alexandrovitch's side, and not contenting himself with warmly defending the measure proposed by Karenin, proposed other more extreme measures in the same direction.

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So far as these observations tend to inculcate a danger of the import duties being extended to an injurious extreme it may be observed, conformably to a remark made in another part of these papers, that the interest of the revenue itself would be a sufficient guard against such an extreme.

View in context

The width of the river, which was upwards of a mile, its extreme shallowness, the frequency of quicksands, and various other characteristics, had at length made them sensible of their errors with respect to it, and they now came to the correct conclusion, that they were on the banks of the Platte or Shallow River.

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In case of failure, their position would be perilous in the extreme; and fail they surely would, should accident or vigilance apprise the enemy of the movement.

View in context

(as some have been, when the moon was low, and shone on their enemies' back), and so to shoot off before the time; or to teach dangers to come on, by over early buckling towards them; is another extreme. The ripeness, or unripeness, of the occasion

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After listening to him for an hour, while he painted in vivid colours the extreme danger of fire consuming the house, the Hard Man to Deal With said:

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