excessive

[ ik-ses-iv ]

adjective

1. going beyond the usual, necessary, or proper limit or degree; characterized by excess:

   excessive charges; excessive criticism.

   Synonyms: unreasonable, exorbitant, inordinate, extravagant, immoderate

   Antonyms: reasonable

excessive

/ ɪkˈsɛsɪv /

adjective

1. exceeding the normal or permitted extents or limits; immoderate; inordinate

Derived Forms

• exˈcessiveness, noun
• exˈcessively, adverb

Other Words From

• ex·ces·sive·ly adverb
• ex·ces·sive·ness noun
• non·ex·ces·sive adjective
• non·ex·ces·sive·ness noun
• qua·si-ex·ces·sive adjective
• un·ex·ces·sive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of excessive¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ( excess, -ive ); replacing Middle English excessif, from Middle French

Example Sentences

Meme creators who have taken notice of the Stake watermarks have begun parodying the campaign by adding excessive amounts of Stake logos to their own memes or pretending they’re instead sponsored by Dave & Buster’s.

From Slate

And that was the end not only of McCarthy’s witch hunts but also of his career—and, three years later, of his life, from excessive drinking.

From Slate

“Clemency,” they argue, “is more important than ever in an era of grossly excessive punishments and mass incarceration. Timidity is not a path to legacy.”

From Slate

Perhaps it was Babitz’s lack of self-discipline, or her excessive drug use, or the incipient onset of Huntington’s disease, which would eventually take her life.

From Los Angeles Times

Peter Martin, Buckinghamshire Council’s Deputy Cabinet Member for HS2, said: "Whilst the council wishes to protect species such as Bechstein's bats, one of the country’s rarest species, it was never supportive of what seemed like extremely excessive costs for a single structure."

From BBC

Related Words

• disproportionate
• enormous
• exaggerated
• exorbitant
• extra
• extravagant
• extreme
• inordinate
• needless
• redundant
• steep
• superfluous
• unconscionable
• undue
• unreasonable