excessive

adjective

ex·​ces·​sive ik-ˈse-siv 

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

excessively adverb

excessiveness noun

Synonyms of excessive

• 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

Skip heavy layering, aggressive thinning and excessive texturizing, since those techniques remove the weight that gives fine hair its shape. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2026

Human Rights Watch did not seek to establish membership, noting that neither gang affiliation nor a criminal record justifies excessive force or an extrajudicial killing. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026

There is a marginal risk for excessive rainfall for much of east Central Florida and 20 percent chance of lightning in the forecast. — Garfield Hylton, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026

Field staff and consultants were still turning up considerable problems related to Citation’s injection, including excessive pressures at the sites of destructive eruptions of wastewater. — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026

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