extreme

Word family  noun extreme extremism extremist extremity adjective extreme extremist adverb extremely

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++ex·treme1 /ɪkˈstriːm/ ●●○ S3 W3 adjective  1  [only before noun]EXTREME very great in degree 极大的；极度的 Extreme poverty still exists in many rural areas. 许多农村地区仍处于赤贫状态。extreme care/caution It is necessary to use extreme caution with chemicals. 接触化学品必须极其小心。 extreme cold 严寒 He had extreme difficulty getting hold of the ingredients. 他费了极大的劲找配料。2  UNUSUALvery unusual and severe or serious 异乎寻常的；极端的；严重的extreme example/case an extreme case of cruelty 极严重的虐待案例 Force is only justified in extreme circumstances. 只有在极端情况下才可以使用武力。extreme weather/conditions etc 极端的天气/条件等3  extreme west/end/left etc the part furthest to the west, nearest the end etc 最西端/尽头/最左端等 on the extreme edge of the cliff 在悬崖的最边上4  EXTREMEextreme opinions, beliefs, or organizations, especially political ones, are considered by most people to be unacceptable and unreasonable 〔尤指政治上〕极端的，偏激的 extreme right-wing nationalists 极右翼民族主义分子5. extreme sports/surfing/skiing etc an extreme sport is one that is done in a way that has much more risk and so is more dangerous than an ordinary form of the sport 极限运动/冲浪/滑雪等6  extreme athlete/surfer/skier etc someone who does extreme sports 极限运动员/冲浪者/滑雪者等 Extreme surfers will ride waves that reach heights of more than fifty feet. 极限冲浪者能在50多英尺高的海浪上滑行。

Examples from the Corpus

extreme• The organization says they consider Kahane's views to be extreme.• But memory is highly selective, particularly within an organization that has weathered numerous crises and moments of extreme duress.• It had always been one of his Walter Mittyisms to run a restaurant, and this we discussed with extreme earnestness.• That imbalance in brain chemicals also could lead to exaggerated responses to stress, resulting in extreme fatigue.• Buchanan's political views are too extreme for most Americans.• This is anomic aphasia. 9.2.6 Global aphasia Global aphasia could be thought of as the most extreme form of aphasia.• The refugees face a winter of extreme hardship.• Therefore, emotion, which can interfere with attention when it is extreme, is nevertheless the cornerstone of attention.• extreme left-wing groups• He hoped that such extreme measures would not be necessary.• extreme nationalists• Hold in this extreme position for 25 counts, stretching a little further with each count.• We like to present an extreme position to get people to react to it.• extreme temperaturesextreme care/caution• However, a partner needs gentle handling to tread gently and with extreme caution.• In reality, the tsar proceeded with extreme caution.• It is therefore advisable that all practice be carried out with extreme caution.• The government had to handle these sentiments with extreme caution.• Virginia liked to watch them when they were in a mood that required that they be handled with extreme care.• She even exercises extreme caution about what she throws into her waste-paper bin.• If he writes slowly and with extreme care, he forsakes natural rhythm and ease of style.• Exercise extreme caution in babies with renal or hepatic failure.extreme example/case• Fortunately, there is little chance of that except in extreme cases.• This can be illustrated easily by taking figures which show extreme cases at the beginning and end of our period.• In extreme cases, it can affect our whole career progress.• An extreme case of organizational self-defeat and its consequences?• Fresh food is the most extreme example of the change that has come over the shops.• That's an extreme example of the volatility, but it shows how brutal the market has been, analysts said.• In the extreme case, the supply will depend exclusively on demand.• In some extreme cases, theorising obliterates any need for empirical method.extreme2 ●●○ noun [countable]  1  TOO/TOO MUCHCHANGE FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHERa situation, quality etc which is as great as it can possibly be – used especially when talking about two opposites 极端〔尤用于表示两个相反的事物〕extreme of The bacteria can withstand extremes of heat and cold. 这种细菌能承受酷热和严寒。 In fact, the truth lies between the two extremes. 事实上，真理存在于两个极端之间。at the other/opposite extreme At the other extreme is a country like Switzerland with almost no unemployment. 另一个极端则是像瑞士这样几乎没有人失业的国家。 Advertisements seem to go from one extreme to the other (=change from one extreme thing to something totally opposite). 广告似乎从一个极端走到了另一个极端。2  in the extreme VERYto a very great degree 极度，非常 This kind of experiment seems cruel in the extreme. 这种实验好像极其残酷。3  to extremes if someone does something to extremes, they do it to a point beyond what is normal or acceptable 至极端take/carry something to extremes Problems only occur when this attitude is taken to extremes. 只有当这种态度走向极端时，问题才会发生。 She had gone to extremes to avoid seeing him. 为了避免见到他，她已经采用极端手段了。

Examples from the Corpus

extreme• Either way, climate extremes are expected to increase.• Plant vaccines take this sort of trickery to an ingenious extreme.• For children, the world is one of extremes.• The junior adventure story has not suffered the same extremes of literary discrimination.• All these parts interrelate, and it is implausible in the extreme to suppose that their interrelation is fortuitous.• In the extreme, parents can even become physically abusive.between ... two extremes• Between the two extremes come the various financial assets such as bonds and shares.• Between the two extremes of standardised and non-standardised interviews is the large category of semi-structured interviews.• There are, of course, many weather conditions between the two extremes when you have a chance of catching bream.• The truth probably lies between the two extremes.• There would have been other players between the two extremes of those who required a check and those who did not.• You must find the right balance of specificity and practicality between the two extremes.• Surely with her help they could create something between the two extremes?Origin extreme1 (1400-1500) French extrême, from Latin extremus “most outward”, from exter; → EXTERNAL

ex·treme1 adjectiveextreme2 nounChineseSyllable  

in degree great very Corpus

extreme

I

ex‧treme¹ S3 W3 /ɪkˈstriːm/ adjective1. [only before noun] very great in degree:
    Extreme poverty still exists in many rural areas.
    extreme care/caution
    It is necessary to use extreme caution with chemicals.
    extreme cold
    He had extreme difficulty getting hold of the ingredients.
2. very unusual and severe or serious
    extreme example/case
    an extreme case of cruelty
    Force is only justified in extreme circumstances.
    extreme weather/conditions etc
3. extreme west/end/left etc the part furthest to the west, nearest the end etc:
    on the extreme edge of the cliff
4. extreme opinions, beliefs, or organizations, especially political ones, are considered by most people to be unacceptable and unreasonable:
    extreme right-wing nationalists
5. [only before noun]extreme sports/surfing/skiing etc an extreme sport is one that is done in a way that has much more risk and so is more dangerous than an ordinary form of the sport
6. extreme athlete/surfer/skier etc someone who does extreme sports:
    Extreme surfers will ride waves that reach heights of more than fifty feet.

II

extreme² noun [countable]1. a situation, quality etc which is as great as it can possibly be – used especially when talking about two opposites
    extreme of
    The bacteria can withstand extremes of heat and cold.
    In fact, the truth lies between the two extremes.
    at the other/opposite extreme
    At the other extreme is a country like Switzerland with almost no unemployment.
    Advertisements seem to go from one extreme to the other (=change from one extreme thing to something totally opposite).
2. in the extreme to a very great degree:
    This kind of experiment seems cruel in the extreme.
3. to extremes if someone does something to extremes, they do it to a point beyond what is normal or acceptable
    take/carry something to extremes
    Problems only occur when this attitude is taken to extremes.
    She had gone to extremes to avoid seeing him.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ right-wing adjective a right-wing person or group wants low taxes, a strong army and police force, and the individual to be free from government interference as much as possible: right-wing political parties | Some of his supporters are very right-wing. | right-wing policies on gun control
   ▪ left-wing adjective a left-wing person or group wants the government to make society more equal by increasing taxes for rich people, and taking control of important industries and services: a left-wing newspaper | His views are very left-wing.
   ▪ green adjective [usually before noun] supporting policies and principles which will protect the environment: green politicians | the Green Party | The government is under pressure to improve its green credentials (=to seem more like it wants to protect the environment).
   ▪ radical adjective supporting political ideas that will involve great change: radical politicians | a radical economic reform programme
   ▪ liberal adjective supporting political ideas that will allow people to have greater freedom: They want the government to have a more liberal policy on drugs.
   ▪ moderate adjective having political opinions which are not extreme: People generally become more moderate as they get older. | The bill is supported by moderate Republicans.
   ▪ extreme adjective having political opinions which are considered to be very unreasonable by many people: His views on immigration are very extreme. | an extreme right-wing organization