Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Characterized by or produced with extravagance and profusion: synonym: profuse.
  • adjective Immoderate in giving or bestowing; unstinting.
  • transitive verb To give or bestow in abundance; shower.
  • transitive verb To give something in abundance to.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To expend or bestow with profusion; give or layout prodigally: as, to lavish encomiums on a person; to lavish money on a friend, or for gratification.
  • Expending or bestowing with profusion; profuse; prodigal: as, to be lavish of expense, of praise, or of blood.
  • Unrestrained; wild.
  • Expended or bestowed with prodigality or in profuseness; existing in or characterized by profusion; superabundant.
  • Rank, as grass, etc.
  • Synonyms and Profuse, etc. See extravagant.
  • noun Waste; squandering.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To expend or bestow with profusion; to use with prodigality; to squander.
  • adjective Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal
  • adjective Superabundant; excessive.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal; as, lavish of money; lavish of praise.
  • adjective Superabundant; excessive; as, lavish spirits.
  • verb transitive To expend or bestow with profusion; to use with prodigality; to squander; as, to lavish money or praise.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb expend profusely; also used with abstract nouns
  • adjective very generous
  • adjective characterized by extravagance and profusion

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English laves, probably from Old French lavasse, downpour, from laver, to wash, from Latin lavāre; see lave.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English *lavish (adjective), equivalent to lave (“to pour out”) +‎ -ish. More at lave, -ish.

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Examples

Comments

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  • LAviSH

    June 14, 2008

  • another word for prodigal

    March 26, 2009

  • Better to trust in the God who lavishes care on the whole earth than to spend our lives worrying about money and possessions. ODB, March 24, 2011.

    March 24, 2011