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Synonyms

inordinate

American  
[in-awr-dn-it] / ɪnˈɔr dn ɪt /

adjective

  1. not within proper or reasonable limits; immoderate; excessive.

    He drank an inordinate amount of wine.
    Synonyms:
    disproportionate, unreasonable, outrageous, exorbitant, extreme
    Antonyms:
    reasonable

  2. unrestrained in conduct, feelings, etc..

    an inordinate admirer of beauty.

  3. disordered or uncontrolled.

  4. not regulated; irregular.

    Keeping such inordinate hours will not help with your sleep issues.
inordinate British  
/ ɪnˈɔːdɪnɪt /

adjective

  1. exceeding normal limits; immoderate

  2. unrestrained, as in behaviour or emotion; intemperate

  3. irregular or disordered

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • inordinacy noun
  • inordinately adverb
  • inordinateness noun

Etymology

Origin of inordinate

First recorded in 1350–1400; from Middle English inordinat, from Latin inordinātus “disordered,” equivalent to in- in- 3 + ordinātus “orderly, appointed”; ordain, ordinate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In two recent games they have played with 10 men versus 11 for inordinate amounts of time and yet won both of those matches.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

I still do spend an inordinate amount of time texting and scrolling.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

Fish spends an inordinate amount of time thinking about that hallway.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2025

She doesn’t have the vibe of someone who has devoted inordinate amounts of energy to fitness.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 11, 2025

Miss Harbottle homed in on my distracted state and called on me an inordinate number of times with questions on Texas history, which I could not answer, much to the class’s amusement.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.