excessive

adjective

ex·​ces·​sive ik-ˈse-siv How to pronounce excessive (audio)
Synonyms of excessivenext
: exceeding what is usual, proper, necessary, or normal
excessively adverb
excessiveness noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for excessive

excessive, immoderate, inordinate, extravagant, exorbitant, extreme mean going beyond a normal limit.

excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.

excessive punishment

immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint.

immoderate spending

inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment.

inordinate pride

extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste.

extravagant claims for the product

exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree.

exorbitant prices

extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree.

extreme shyness

Examples of excessive in a Sentence

an excessive display of wealth High fever, nausea, and excessive sweating are some of the symptoms.
Recent Examples on the Web Up to 10 inches of rain expected in some parts of Florida All of Florida’s Big Bend and parts of southwestern Georgia have at least a moderate risk of excessive rainfall over the next five days, according to the Weather Prediction Center. —Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 25 Sep. 2024 While oversight is necessary, excessive bureaucracy can hinder agility. —Sherzod Odilov, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 Cash believes Duncan used excessive force against his client and his actions were the result of self defense. —Tracy Neal, arkansasonline.com, 23 Sep. 2024 The world recognizes that excessive concentration in any one region is fraught with serious risks, Goyal added. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for excessive 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'excessive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of excessive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near excessive

excess insurance

excessive

excess-loss reinsurance

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Excessive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excessive. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.

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Kids Definition

excessive

adjective
ex·​ces·​sive ik-ˈses-iv How to pronounce excessive (audio)
: showing excess : too much
excessively adverb
excessiveness noun

Legal Definition

excessive

adjective
ex·​ces·​sive
: exceeding what is proper, necessary, or normal
specifically : being out of proportion to the offense
excessive bail

More from Merriam-Webster on excessive

Nglish: Translation of excessive for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of excessive for Arabic Speakers

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