excess

¹ex·cess

noun \ik-ˈses, ˈek-ˌ\

Definition of EXCESS

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>

— in excess of

: to an amount or degree beyond : over

Examples of EXCESS

1. They were equipped with an excess of provisions.
2. The tests found an excess of sodium in his blood.
3. He lived a life of excess.
4. The movie embraces all the worst excesses of popular American culture.
5. the violent excesses of the military regime
6. He apologized for his past excesses.

Origin of EXCESS

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: 14th century

Related to EXCESS

Synonyms: bellyful, fat, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, overplus, oversupply, plethora, plus, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, surplusage

Antonyms: deficiency, deficit, insufficiency, undersupply

Related Words: abundance, bounty, plentitude, plenty, profusion, sufficiency; overproduction, overstock

Near Antonyms: dearth, lack, scarcity, want

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with EXCESS

abscess, access, address, aggress, assess, bench-press, caress, clothespress, coatdress, cold-press, compress, confess, cross-dress, CS, depress, de-stress, digress, distress, drill press, egress, express, finesse, fluoresce, French press, full-dress, handpress, headdress, housedress, idlesse, impress, ingress, Meknes, much less, nightdress, noblesse, no less, obsess, oppress, outguess, possess, precess, prestress, princess, process, profess, progress, recess, redress, regress, re-press, repress, shirtdress, side-dress, SS, success, sundress, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, undress, unless, web press, winepress, word stress