lavish

Meaning

Adj

1. Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal.
2. Superabundant; excessive.
3. (obsolete) Unrestrained, impetuous.
4. (dialectal) Rank or lush with vegetation.

Verb

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

Noun

Excessive abundance or expenditure, profusion, prodigality.

Synonyms

extravagant

generous

luxurious

squander

sumptuous

prodigal

profuse

waste

wasteful

abundant

munificent

spendthrift

dissipate

plentiful

rich

🤑

open-handed

overgenerous

shower

🚿

unsparing

unstinted

bountiful

openhanded

liberal

profligate

extravagance

expensive

💰

too-generous

wealthy

unstinting

free-handed

lush

effusive

plushy

plush

scatter

opulent

ostentatious

lucullan

flush

exuberant

disgorge

diffuse

broadcast

express

deluxe

expend

negligent

exorbitant

deluge

be on the air

Translations

prodigo

prodigare

verschwenderisch

verkwisten

prodiguer

verschwenden

pródigo

generoso

despilfarrar

prodigue

lujoso

profondere

généreux

verspillen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlævɪʃ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: laves

Cognate with Scots: lawage

Cognate with English: lavy

Cognate with Dutch: lafenis

In summary

From Middle English laves, lavas, lavage (“extravagant, wasteful, prodigal”), from lavas (“excessive abundance”), from Old French lavasse, lavache (“torrent of rain”); possibly later conflated in some senses by Middle English laven (“to pour out”), equivalent to lave + -ish. Compare Scots lawage, lavisch, lavish (“unrestrained, excessively prodigal, extravagant”). Compare also English lavy (“lavish, liberal”), Dutch lafenis (“lavishness”).