Extreme
/ɪkˈstriːm/noun
At the furthest point, limit, or degree; very intense or severe.
Did you know?Extreme comes from Latin exterus, meaning “outer” or “outside,” so its core image is literally the edge beyond the center, not a mystical force but a spatial one that later became intensity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eḱs-
“Out, away, on the outside”
Latin
Latin
exterus
“Outer, external, foreign”
Late Latin
Latin
extremus
“Outermost, last, furthest”
Old French
Old French
extreme
“Extreme, furthest, utmost”
Middle English
English
extreme
“Utmost, farthest, highest degree”
Modern English
English
extreme
“At the furthest point, limit, or degree; very intense or severe”