rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryextremeVery great degree
adjective / noun

extreme

ik-STREEM/ɪkˈstriːm/

At or approaching the furthest limit.

Extreme heat forces the school to cancel outdoor activities.

Extreme heat shown by an outdoor thermometer reading 50°C beside deeply cracked earth and a severely wilted plant.
Etymology
extremeLatinoutermost, utmost

Latin extremus expressed both the farthest position and the greatest degree. The spatial image of reaching an outermost limit thus also describes intensity or departure from moderation.

In context

Silence of the Earth15:16
the force is so extreme that it can inhibit the very proteins and calcium that vertebrae life depends on. A fish's cells, its very structure, would struggle to function.
Mariana Trench: Secrets of Earth’s Deepest Abyss | Documentary for Sleep

More examples

  • The desert's temperature swings between extremes.
  • Her extreme political views alienate even her closest allies.
  • The emergency exit is at the extreme end of the hall.

Forms

extreme · extremes · more extreme · most extreme

extremely adverb — To a very great degree.

extremist noun — Someone who holds extreme political views.

Similar words

intense
Emphasizes strength or concentration rather than an outer limit.
severe
Emphasizes harshness or seriousness, especially of harmful conditions.
radical
Emphasizes fundamental change rather than distance from moderate views.