# lavish

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈlævɪʃ/ · frequency rank #16,741

## Definitions
1. Expending or bestowing profusely; profuse; prodigal.
2. Superabundant; excessive.
3. Unrestrained, impetuous.
4. Rank or lush with vegetation.

## Etymology
From Middle English laves, lavas, lavage (“extravagant, wasteful, prodigal”), from lavas (“excessive abundance”), from Old French lavasse, lavache (“torrent of rain”); possibly later conflated in some senses by Middle English laven (“to pour out”), equivalent to lave + -ish. Compare Scots lawage, lavisch, lavish (“unrestrained, excessively prodigal, extravagant”). Compare also English lavy (“lavish, liberal”), Dutch lafenis (“lavishness”).

## Easily confused with
- **Levis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lavish-vs-levis)
- **lavishly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lavish-vs-lavishly)
- **lash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lash-vs-lavish)
- **lapis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lapis-vs-lavish)

## Common misspellings (9)
`alvish`, `laivsh`, `lavihs`, `lavishh`, `lavissh`, `lavsih`, `lavvish`, `llavish`, `lvaish`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/lavish