lavish Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb expend profusely; also used with abstract nouns
    shower.
    • He was showered with praise
  2. adjective satellite very generous
    overgenerous; unstinting; unstinted; munificent; too-generous; unsparing.
    • distributed gifts with a lavish hand
    • the critics were lavish in their praise
    • a munificent gift
    • his father gave him a half-dollar and his mother a quarter and he thought them munificent
    • prodigal praise
    • unsparing generosity
    • his unstinted devotion
    • called for unstinting aid to Britain
  3. adjective satellite characterized by extravagance and profusion
    lush; lucullan; plush; plushy.
    • a lavish buffet
    • a lucullan feast

WordNet

Lav"ish adjective
Etymology
Akin to E. lave to lade out; cf. AS. gelafian to refresh, G. laben.
Definitions
  1. Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal; as, lavish of money; lavish of praise.
  2. Superabundant; excessive; as, lavish spirits.
    Let her have needful, but not lavish, means. Shak.
    Syn. -- Profuse; prodigal; wasteful; extravagant; exuberant; immoderate. See Profuse.
Lav"ish transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Lavished ; present participle & verbal noun Lavishing
Definitions
  1. To expend or bestow with profusion; to use with prodigality; to squander; as, to lavish money or praise.

Webster 1913