MEASUREMENT
Content
extreme (n):
/ɪkˈstriːm/
# a feeling, situation, way of behaving, etc. that is as different as possible from another or is opposite to it.
extremes of love and hate
He used to be very shy, but now he's gone to the opposite extreme (= changed from one extreme kind of behaviour to another).
She goes from one extreme to the other (= changes from one extreme kind of behaviour to another).
At the other extreme, the top 10 per cent receives 30 per cent of the nation's income.
between extremes: He takes a position somewhere between these two extremes.
# the greatest or highest degree of something.
The climate is mild with no extremes of temperature.
extremes of cold, wind or rain
the climatic extremes of the mountains
Many of these plants won't tolerate temperature extremes.
# go, etc. to extremes/an extreme | take something to extremes/an extreme (idiom): to act or be forced to act in a way that is far from normal or reasonable.
It's embarrassing the extremes he'll go to in order to impress his boss.
Taken to extremes, this kind of behaviour can be dangerous.
In the jungle they were driven to extremes in order to survive.
# in the extreme (idiom): (formal) to a great degree.
The journey would be dangerous in the extreme.
His voice was scornful in the extreme.
extent (n):
/ɪkˈstent/
# how large, important, serious, etc. something is.
It is difficult to assess the full extent of the damage.
She was exaggerating the true extent of the problem.
They have launched an investigation to determine the extent of police misconduct in this case.
We don't know the extent of his injuries at this point.
I was amazed at the extent of his knowledge.
# the physical size of an area.
You can't see the full extent of the beach from here.
in extent: The island is 300 square kilometres in extent.
# to… extent (idiom): used to show how far something is true or how great an effect it has.
To a certain extent, we are all responsible for this tragic situation.
He had changed to such an extent (= so much) that I no longer recognized him.
To some extent what she argues is true.
The pollution of the forest has seriously affected plant life and, to a lesser extent, wildlife.
To what extent is this true of all schools?
The book discusses the extent to which (= how much) family life has changed over the past 50 years.
degree /dɪˈɡriː/
# a unit for measuring temperature
at… degrees: Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (32°F) or zero/ nought degrees Celsius (0°C).
above/below…: degrees Temperatures are expected to drop below 2 degrees.
Last weekend temperatures reached 40 degrees.
# [countable] a unit for measuring angles
an angle of ninety degrees (90°)
# [countable, uncountable] the amount or level of something
degree of something: Her job demands a high degree of skill.
with a degree of something: The story has been staged several times before, with varying degrees of success.
to a degree I agree with you to a certain degree.
The reaction to his decision has been, to some degree, predictable.
These criticisms are, to a degree (= to some extent), well founded.
To what degree can parents be held responsible for a child's behaviour?
Most pop music is influenced, to a greater or lesser degree, by the blues.
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