excessive

adjective

ex·​ces·​sive ik-ˈse-siv 

: exceeding what is usual, proper, necessary, or normal

excessively adverb

excessiveness noun

Synonyms

• extreme
• extravagant
• insane
• steep
• lavish

Choose the Right Synonym for excessive

excessive, immoderate, inordinate, extravagant, exorbitant, extreme mean going beyond a normal limit.

excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.

excessive punishment

immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint.

immoderate spending

inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment.

inordinate pride

extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste.

extravagant claims for the product

exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree.

exorbitant prices

extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree.

extreme shyness

Examples of excessive in a Sentence

an excessive display of wealth

High fever, nausea, and excessive sweating are some of the symptoms.

Recent Examples on the Web

While beneficial, excessive use can harm your plants. —Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2025

Governor Pritzker has called for investigations into federal enforcement practices, including reports of excessive force and mistaken detentions of American citizens. —Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

Skilled operators tend to target invasive shrubs, vines that choke desirable trees, and excessive saplings, while preserving mature canopy and valuable understory. —Jon Stojan, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025

Governments, on the other hand, can’t be the market, setting prices, or sucking the oxygen out of enterprise with excessive regulation. —Kingsley Moghalu, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for excessive

• aggressive
• compressive
• concessive
• depressive
• expressive
• impressive
• obsessive
• oppressive
• possessive
• progressive
• recessive
• regressive

Kids Definition

excessive

adjective

ex·​ces·​sive ik-ˈses-iv 

: showing excess : too much

excessively adverb

excessiveness noun

Legal Definition

excessive

adjective

ex·​ces·​sive

: exceeding what is proper, necessary, or normal

specifically : being out of proportion to the offense

excessive bail