/ ɪkˈstriːm; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective
1.
[ usually before noun ] very great in degree :
We are working under extreme pressure at the moment.
people living in extreme poverty
The heat in the desert was extreme.
2.
not ordinary or usual; serious or severe :
Children will be removed from their parents only in extreme circumstances .
Don't go doing anything extreme like leaving the country.
It was the most extreme example of cruelty to animals I had ever seen.
extreme weather conditions
3.
( of people, political organizations, opinions, etc. ) far from what most people consider to be normal, reasonable or acceptable
OPP moderate :
extreme left-wing / right-wing views
4.
[ only before noun ] as far as possible from the centre, the beginning or in the direction mentioned :
Kerry is in the extreme west of Ireland.
She sat on the extreme edge of her seat.
■ noun
1.
a feeling, situation, way of behaving, etc. that is as different as possible from another or is opposite to it :
extremes of love and hate
He used to be very shy, but now he's gone to the opposite extreme (= changed from one extreme kind of behaviour to another) .
2.
the greatest or highest degree of sth :
extremes of cold, wind or rain
•
IDIOMS
- go, etc. to extremes | take sth to extremes
- in the extreme
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : via Old French from Latin extremus outermost, utmost, superlative of exterus outer.