English Reference

Word

lavishly

Phoneticslav·ish·ly

US/ˈɫævɪʃɫi/

UK/lˈævɪʃli/

Definition

adv. in a way that shows you have a lot of money or resources. You use this to describe things that are very expensive, beautiful, or done with a lot of care.

adv. in a manner that demonstrates great wealth, generosity, or abundance. Often describes the use of resources, decoration, or effort to an excessive degree.

Examples

“The hotel is decorated lavishly with gold and silk.”

“The director spent lavishly on special effects to ensure the movie looked as realistic as possible.”

“The mansion was furnished lavishly, featuring hand-carved mahogany furniture and ceilings adorned with intricate frescoes that took years to complete.”

Examples

simple

“The hotel is decorated lavishly with gold and silk.”

contextual

“The director spent lavishly on special effects to ensure the movie looked as realistic as possible.”

complex

“The mansion was furnished lavishly, featuring hand-carved mahogany furniture and ceilings adorned with intricate frescoes that took years to complete.”

Real-World Examples

“Her lavishly decorated property, excavated in 1755, was one of the largest estates in Pompeii.”
Smithsonian Magazine · 28 Jul 2026

Etymology

From Middle English lavausly, equivalent to lavish + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference