What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Elaborate vs Extravagant - What's the difference?

elaborate | extravagant | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between elaborate and extravagant

is that elaborate is highly complex, detailed, or sophisticated while extravagant is exceeding the bounds of something; roving; hence, foreign.

As a verb elaborate

is (used with on when used with an object) To give further detail or explanation (about).

elaborate

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Highly complex, detailed, or sophisticated.
  • :
  • Intricate, fancy, flashy, or showy.
  • :
  • *
  • *:The house was a big elaborate limestone affair, evidently new. Winter sunshine sparkled on lace-hung casement, on glass marquise, and the burnished bronze foliations of grille and door.
  • Verb

    (elaborat)
  • (used with'' on ''when used with an object ) To give further detail or explanation (about).
  • What do you mean you didn't come home last night? Would you care to elaborate ?
    Could you elaborate on the plot for your novel for me?

    extravagant

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Exceeding the bounds of something; roving; hence, foreign.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • The extravagant and erring spirit hies / To his confine.
  • Extreme; wild; excessive; unrestrained.
  • * Addison
  • There appears something nobly wild and extravagant in great natural geniuses.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham)
  • , title=(The China Governess), chapter=1 citation , passage=The half-dozen pieces […] were painted white and carved with festoons of flowers, birds and cupids. […] The bed was the most extravagant piece. Its graceful cane halftester rose high towards the cornice and was so festooned in carved white wood that the effect was positively insecure, as if the great couch were trimmed with icing sugar.}}
  • Exorbitant.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Obama goes troll-hunting , passage=According to this saga of intellectual-property misanthropy, these creatures [patent trolls] roam the business world, buying up patents and then using them to demand extravagant payouts from companies they accuse of infringing them. Often, their victims pay up rather than face the costs of a legal battle.}}
  • Profuse in expenditure; prodigal; wasteful.
  • (Bancroft)

    Synonyms

    * See also