# extreme

Pronunciation: say "ik-STREEM" US /ɪkˈstɹim/, UK /ɪkˈstɹiːm/

## Adjective

1. Reaching the greatest or highest degree; very intense.
   - Simple: Very great or very strong, reaching the highest level.
   - _The hikers faced extreme heat as they crossed the desert._
   - _He spoke with extreme caution, weighing every single word._
2. Going too far, well beyond what is usual or reasonable; excessive.
   - Simple: Much more than is normal or needed.
   - _The new rules placed extreme demands on the workers._
   - _Critics called the spending extreme and impossible to sustain._
5. Of a person, a group, or a set of opinions: holding political or religious positions far outside the moderate mainstream.
   - Simple: Of people, groups, or ideas: very far from the middle in politics or religion.
   - _The bill was opposed by moderates in both parties and backed only by the extreme wing of the movement._
   - _She left the congregation once its leaders began preaching extreme views about the end of the world._
6. Farthest, most remote, or at the outermost edge of a place.
   - Simple: Farthest away or at the very edge of a place.
   - _Explorers reached the extreme southern tip of the continent._
   - _The old lighthouse stands at the extreme western tip of the island, facing the open ocean._
7. Of an action or measure taken: drastic or severe in its effect or intention.
   - Simple: Very harsh or serious, often done as a last choice.
   - _The government resorted to extreme measures during the crisis._
   - _An extreme penalty like that seemed out of proportion to the crime._
8. Of a sport, hard or dangerous to do and taking place in surroundings that carry real risk.
   - Simple: Of a sport: difficult or dangerous to do, in conditions that involve real risk.
   - _The resort caters to extreme skiers who seek out the steepest slopes._
   - _Base jumping ranks as an extreme pursuit even among seasoned adventurers._

## Noun

3. The farthest point, highest degree, or most intense condition that something can reach.
   - Simple: The highest or strongest point that something can reach.
   - _Her generosity was taken to an extreme that worried her friends._
   - _Some athletes push their bodies to the extreme, training for hours every day without a break._
4. Either of the things found at the opposite ends of a range or scale.
   - Simple: One of the two points at the very ends of a range.
   - _The committee swung between the two extremes of caution and recklessness._
   - _Each extreme of the political spectrum distrusts the center._
9. A drastic measure or expedient adopted to deal with something.
   - Simple: A very strong action taken to deal with a problem.
   - _Rationing food was an extreme the town accepted only reluctantly._
   - _Desperate investors resorted to extremes that wrecked the market._
11. In mathematics, the first or last term of a proportion, such as 1 or 6 in 1:2 = 3:6.
   - Simple: In a math proportion, one of the two numbers at the outer ends.
   - _In any proportion, the product of the extremes equals the product of the means._
   - _She identified 5 as the missing extreme in the proportion._

## Adverb

10. Extremely; to the greatest degree. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Very, to the greatest degree.

## Adjective

12. Coming at the very end; ultimate, final, or last. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Coming at the very end, final or last.

## Noun

13. The final moments of a person's life. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: The final moments of someone's life, close to death.
14. Hardships or difficult straits. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Great troubles or very hard times.

## Origin

Latin extrēmus, the superlative of exter, gave Old French extreme, which English took over in the late Middle English period.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/extreme (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).