too

American  

[too] / tu /

adverb

1. in addition; also; furthermore; moreover.

   young, clever, and rich too.

2. to an excessive extent or degree; beyond what is desirable, fitting, or right.

   too sick to travel.

3. more, as specified, than should be.

   too near the fire.

4. (used as an affirmative to contradict a negative statement).

   I am too!

5. extremely; very.

   She wasn't too pleased with his behavior.

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idioms

1. only too. only.

too British  

/ tuː /

adverb

1. as well; in addition; also

   can I come too?

2. in or to an excessive degree; more than a fitting or desirable amount

   I have too many things to do

3. extremely

   you're too kind

4. informal indeed: used to reinforce a command

   you will too do it!

5. certainly; indeed

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too More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing too

• (too) close to home
• carry too far
• eat one's cake and have it, too
• go too far
• irons in the fire, too many
• life is too short
• none too
• not (too) bad
• only too
• speak too soon
• spread oneself too thin
• take on (too much)

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Usage

What's the difference between too, to, and two? Too means also (I’m going, too) or to an excessive degree (too much). To is a very common word that performs many different functions, such as expressing direction (I’m driving to the office) or contact (Pin it to the wall), indicating an object or recipient (Give it to me), or setting a range (9 to 5) or limit (These go to 11). Two is the number equal to one plus one. The words are used in very different ways: too is an adverb, to is most commonly used as a preposition, and two is a number that can be used as a noun or an adjective. Perhaps the most common mistake involving the three words is using to when it should be too, or vice versa. Remember, if you mean to, don’t use too many o’s!Here’s an example of too, to, and two used correctly in the same sentence. Example: We went to two two-star restaurants, and it was two two-star restaurants too many!Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between too, to, and two.

Etymology

Origin of too

First recorded before 900; Middle English to, Old English, stressed variant of to (for the adverb); spelling too since the 16th century

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Explanation

Depending how you use it, too can mean two slightly different things: "excessively" ("Human beings are too weird") or "also" ("I think so too — let's go back to Mars.") The two versions of too should not be confused with to (or two), but all three words came from the same origin, the Old English word to, which meant "in the direction of." If someone said "I want to go to the joust," she was literally saying, "I want to go in the direction of the joust," and if you said, "I want to go to the joust, too," you were literally saying, "I want to go in the direction of the person going in the direction of the joust." You can begin to see why short words like to and too are handy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

too

Only now, when private companies have been harder to sell and the distributions from these funds have slowed to a trickle, have fiduciaries started to realize that their expected return assumptions may be too optimistic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026

A clinical Celtic made them pay for their naivety and maybe their arrogance, too.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

“People now feel this is just way too dangerous. This has gone way too far.”

From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026

Consuming too much salt can affect more than blood pressure.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

“Father says I must tell you everything, but the inside story of the life of the leper in a poor and sadly abandoned leper colony is too full of heartaches, misery, and want,” she writes.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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Related Words

• awfully
• ever
• exceptionally
• extremely
• highly
• immensely
• overly
• remarkably
• unduly
• very

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