I. ˈsplərj, -lə̄j, -ləij noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps blend of splash (I) and surge (I)
1. : an ostentatious or conspicuous demonstration or effort : burst of activity : great display
without splurge or ostentation — Fortune
last carefree splurges of pre-Depression film production — Arthur Knight
frontier spirit was having its splurge — V.L.Parrington
orgy of splurge characteristic of an easy-money period — S.H.Adams
2.
a. : splash
dashing away in a splurge of foam — Rose Macaulay
b. : splotch
imperfections … such as the splurge of the ink in a print — J.C.Tarr
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
1. : to make a showy display
of a grave and orderly demeanor … never splurged — G.D.Brown
wild flowers splurge — Time
2. : to indulge oneself in some unusual activity, expense, pleasure, luxury
liked to splurge a bit on weekends
— often used with on
splurged on a steak and strawberries for dessert — Nancy Wilbur
3. : to splash heavily : slosh
transitive verb
: to spend extravagantly, ostentatiously, or as a self-indulgence
swarming into New Orleans to splurge millions during a five-day sports program — Newsweek