excess

1 of 3

noun

ex·​cess ik-ˈses How to pronounce excess (audio) ˈek-ˌses How to pronounce excess (audio)
1
a
: the state or an instance of surpassing usual, proper, or specified limits : superfluity
b
: the amount or degree by which one thing or quantity exceeds another
an excess of 10 bushels
2
: undue or immoderate indulgence : intemperance
also : an act or instance of intemperance
prevent excesses and abuses by newly created local powers Albert Shanker

excess

2 of 3

adjective

: more than the usual, proper, or specified amount

excess

3 of 3

verb

excessed; excessing; excesses

transitive verb

: to eliminate the position of
excessed several teachers because of budget cutbacks
Phrases
in excess of
: to an amount or degree beyond : over

Examples of excess in a Sentence

Noun They were equipped with an excess of provisions. The tests found an excess of sodium in his blood. He lived a life of excess. The movie embraces all the worst excesses of popular American culture. the violent excesses of the military regime He apologized for his past excesses. Adjective Basketball provided an outlet for their excess energy. She is trying to eliminate excess fat and calories from her diet.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
That so much of it is hypocritical in singling out Israel for censure — while ignoring the excesses of Iran, Russia, Syria and China, not to mention Hamas — is true. Thomas L. Friedman, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 This weekend legendary investor Marc Rowan’s Apollo Global Management warned AI stock valuations have surpassed the excesses of the dotcom era. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 As one of the best-selling artists of all time, Madonna has moved in excess of 300 million records around the globe and lands on a short list of artists who’ve cracked the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in five consecutive decades in America. Jim Ryan, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Poland’s new government wants to clean up the excesses of its populist predecessor. Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2024 How to do justice to the longing for excess except excessively? Becca Rothfeld, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024 From then on, the Silver State was synonymous with American excess. Chris Carra, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 Similarly, there’s relatively little done to develop the supporting players, and other than one flash of temper, the movie presents a largely unblemished snapshot of Marley, especially compared to the warts-and-all excesses depicted in other biographical tales covering musical superstars. Brian Lowry, CNN, 14 Feb. 2024 Or an excess of cleaner could carry a stain into the padding. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Excessive doses of magnesium can be dangerous for people living with kidney impairment, as excess magnesium is flushed out in the urine. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 While there is no stream minimum or vetting process to qualify for a share of the excess, eligible artists must be human—not a corporation or a fully generative artificial intelligence, as Krukowski noted in an email to Pitchfork. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2024 Churches, developers like the plan To proponents in the religious community, House Bill 2815 could solve two problems: reducing obstacles to providing low-income housing for people who need it, and offering churches the chance to put their excess land to productive use. The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Additionally, excess belly fat links to inflammation in the body, and the Mediterranean diet helps maintain healthy body weight. Andrea Stanley, Health, 4 Mar. 2024 This powder can be used to apply a veil of color or be built up to achieve a more full coverage base that reduces shine and absorbs excess oil from the skin. Clare Holden, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2024 The idea is that the rice will draw out any excess water, saving your phone from being destroyed by water damage. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 29 Feb. 2024 Managing excess heat is a common issue with electronics, which is why many desktops and laptops have cooling fans and smartphones in insulating cases may overheat. David Hambling, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Its bucket has two slots: One chamber rinses and removes hair and debris from the mop head, and the other uses double scrapers to wring out excess water. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 24 Feb. 2024
Verb
Over the past few months my wife has begun drinking to excess every evening. Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 17 July 2023 Over the past few months, my wife has begun drinking to excess every evening. Amy Dickinson, Washington Post, 17 July 2023 That suggests existing protections won’t have much force until the state extends its new worker-misclassification law (which cracks down on employers who rely to excess on gig workers) to temporary employees. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2021 You’ve been quoted as saying that that is really what the film is about — not so much drinking to excess as embracing the uncontrollable. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2021 Meacham is a nonideological historian and McGraw is a country star, two professions that were built for caution, something McGraw occasionally takes to excess. Allison Stewart, chicagotribune.com, 11 July 2019

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French exces, from Late Latin excessus, from Latin, departure, projection, from excedere to exceed

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1971, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near excess

Cite this Entry

“Excess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/excess. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

excess

1 of 2 noun
ex·​cess ik-ˈses How to pronounce excess (audio) ˈek-ˌses How to pronounce excess (audio)
1
: a state of being more than enough
2
a
: an amount beyond what is usual, needed, or asked
b
: the amount by which one thing or quantity exceeds another

excess

2 of 2 adjective
: more than what is usual, acceptable, or needed
excess baggage
an outlet for their excess energy

Legal Definition

excess

adjective
ex·​cess
: more than a usual or specified amount
specifically : additional to an amount specified under another insurance policy
excess coverage
excess insurance

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