different between extreme vs preposterous

English

Alternative forms

• extream, extreame (obsolete)
• xtreme (informal, nonstandard)

Etymology

Borrowed into late Middle English from Old French extreme, from Latin extr?mus, the superlative of exter.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?k?st?i?m/, /?k?st?i?m/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?k?st?im/

Adjective

extreme (comparative extremer or more extreme, superlative extremest or most extreme)

1. Of a place, the most remote, farthest or outermost.

2. In the greatest or highest degree; intense.

3. Excessive, or far beyond the norm.

4. Drastic, or of great severity.

5. Of sports, difficult or dangerous; performed in a hazardous environment.

6. (archaic) Ultimate, final or last.

   the extreme hour of life

Synonyms

• (place): farthest, furthest, most distant, outermost, remotest
• (in greatest or highest degree): greatest, highest
• (excessive): excessive, too much
• (drastic): drastic, severe
• (sports): dangerous
• (ultimate): final, last, ultimate

Antonyms

• (place): closest, nearest
• (in greatest or highest degree): least
• (excessive): moderate, reasonable
• (drastic): moderate, reasonable

Derived terms

• extremeness

Translations

Noun

extreme (plural extremes)

1. The greatest or utmost point, degree or condition.
2. Each of the things at opposite ends of a range or scale.
3. A drastic expedient.

4. (mathematics) Either of the two numbers at the ends of a proportion, as 1 and 6 in 1:2=3:6.

Translations

Adverb

extreme (comparative more extreme, superlative most extreme)

1. (archaic) Extremely.
   • 1796 Charles Burney, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Metastasio 2.5:

     In the empty and extreme cold theatre.

Usage notes

• Formerly used to modify adjectives and sometimes adverbs, but rarely verbs.

Derived terms

• extremism
• extremist
• extremity
• extremely
• extreme ironing
• extreme unction

Related terms

• extremum

See also

• mean

References

• John A. Simpson and Edward S. C. Weiner, editors (1989) , “extreme”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ?ISBN

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

extreme

1. Inflected form of extreem

German

Adjective

extreme

1. inflection of extrem:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Ido

Adverb

extreme

1. extremely

Latin

Noun

extr?me

1. vocative singular of extr?mus

References

• extreme in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• extreme in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700?^[1], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Middle French

Adjective

extreme m or f (plural extremes)

1. extreme

Spanish

Verb

extreme

1. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of extremar.
2. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of extremar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of extremar.

Swedish

Adjective

extreme

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of extrem.

English

Alternative forms

• præposterous (archaic)

Etymology

From Latin praeposterus (“with the hinder part before, reversed, inverted, perverted”), from prae (“before”) + posterus (“coming after”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /p???p?st???s/, /p???p?st??s/, /p??-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /p???p?st???s/, /p???p?st??s/

Adjective

preposterous (comparative more preposterous, superlative most preposterous)

1. Absurd, or contrary to common sense.
   • 2016 January 30, "America deserves more from presidential hopefuls," The National (retrieved 31 January 2016):

     Democrats, too, must be criticised. While they have not made preposterous statements or been threatening or demagogic, they, all too often, have come up short, failing to propose new ideas that can help unwind conflicts raging across the Middle East.

Synonyms

• absurd
• foolish
• irrational
• nonsensical
• See also Thesaurus:absurd

Translations

See also

• topsy-turvy
• upside down

Further reading

• preposterous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• preposterous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.