How to say "extravagant" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 豪華ごうかna-adjective, nounCovers extravagant in the sense of lavish and luxurious: richly splendid meals, hotels, weddings, and the like. The nuance is positive opulence — abundance and refinement rather than wasteful excess.
- na-adjectiveAlso renders extravagant as lavish luxury, overlapping with 豪華 but with a showier, glamorous flavor: sumptuous dresses, stage sets, or interiors that dazzle the eye.
- 奔放ほんぽうna-adjective, nounCovers extravagant meaning wild and uninhibited rather than luxurious: an extravagant personality, imagination, or lifestyle that ignores convention. The nuance is unrestrained freedom, not money or splendor.
- 法外ほうがいna-adjective, nounCovers extravagant in the sense of exorbitant: prices, fees, or amounts so far beyond any reasonable level that they seem outrageous or absurd. For money, this is the word you want.
- 大それただいそれたpre-noun adjectivalCovers extravagant claims, ambitions, or ideas: wild, overreaching notions that go far beyond what is acceptable or realistic. The nuance is audacity bordering on the outrageous, not luxury or spending.
Use 豪華 or 「ゴージャス」 for lavish, luxurious splendor, 奔放 for wild, unrestrained behavior or imagination, 法外 for exorbitant prices, and 「大それた」 for outrageous, overreaching claims or ambitions.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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