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

Auditors said other warning signs for potential fraud included multiple hospices in one building, geographic clustering, low patient counts, high rates of terminally ill patients later discharged alive, excessive billing and staff shared across multiple companies. —Adam Yamaguchi, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026

Three deaths by low blood sodium — two resulting from men with mental illness drinking excessive amounts of water in their cells, a rare and avoidable condition, while the third was likely the same cause. —Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026

Lately, my anxiety has been keeping me up at night, scaring me away from windows, crowded places, public transportation and tall buildings, and causing excessive overthinking. —Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2026

Colorado lawmakers have killed a measure that would’ve prohibited local police from hiding their identities while also giving them the explicit authority to step in when federal agents use excessive force. —Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 18 Mar. 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