- 1 [usually before noun] very great in degree We are working under extreme pressure at the moment. people living in extreme poverty I'm having extreme difficulty in not losing my temper with her. The heat in the desert was extreme. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, appear, seem, … adverbparticularly, really, very, … phrasesat its most extreme See full entry
- 2 not ordinary or usual; serious or severe Children will be removed from their parents only in extreme circumstances. Don't go doing anything extreme like leaving the country. It was the most extreme example of cruelty to animals I had ever seen. extreme weather conditions
- 3 (of people, political organizations, opinions, etc.) far from what most people consider to be normal, reasonable or acceptable extreme left-wing/right-wing views an extreme nationalist organization Their ideas are too extreme for me. opposite moderate Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, appear, seem, … adverbparticularly, really, very, … phrasesat its most extreme See full entry
- 4[only before noun] as far as possible from the centre, the beginning or in the direction mentioned Kerry is in the extreme west of Ireland. She sat on the extreme edge of her seat. politicians on the extreme left of the party Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from Latin extremus ‘outermost, utmost’, superlative of exterus ‘outer’.Extra examples This is hero-worship at its most extreme. Children will be removed from their parents only in extreme circumstances. Don’t go doing anything extreme like leaving the country. I’m having extreme difficulty in not losing my temper with her. She didn’t like the idea—it sounded too extreme. There are still thousands of people living in extreme poverty. extreme left-wing/right-wing views
Check pronunciation: extreme
