excess 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of excessnext
as in extra
being over what is needed any excess food from the party will be donated to a shelter for the homeless

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

excess

2 of 3

noun

ik-ˈses How to pronounce excess (audio)
1
as in surplus
the state or an instance of going beyond what is usual, proper, or needed a new television season with an excess of sitcoms featuring wisecracking teenagers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excessiveness
a propensity for extremes in one's actions, beliefs, or habits the wretched excess that is so often found in the world of show business

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

excess

3 of 3

verb

as in to lay off

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of excess
Adjective
The base inside is raised to keep berries elevated above any excess moisture, and the lids have built-in vents to allow for airflow. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 July 2026 The EuroMOMO mortality monitoring hub, which receives data from two dozen countries, gave an estimate of 14,260 for excess mortality from all causes in the week ending June 28, more than 12,000 of those deaths being among people age 65 and older. — ABC News, 17 July 2026
Noun
Avoid pushing the substance further into the fabric, but remove any excess from the surface with something like a butter knife or a spoon. — Bridget Reed Morawski, Architectural Digest, 17 July 2026 Jordan Cvetanovski, chairman and chief investment officer at Pella Funds, said demand for AI infrastructure remains strong as companies race to build computing capacity, but signs of speculative excess are beginning to emerge. — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 15 July 2026
Verb
Over the past few months my wife has begun drinking to excess every evening. — Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 17 July 2023 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 See All Example Sentences for excess
Recent Examples of Synonyms for excess
  1. extra
  2. surplus
  3. excessiveness
  4. lay off
  5. spare
  6. overflow
  7. sack
  8. abundance
Adjective
  • Substitute Facundo Medina was in no rush to take a throw-in during extra time (as is his want), despite Yamal giving him some encouragement.
    — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Despite playing with 10 men for the final few minutes of injury time and all of extra-time, the Albiceleste put up a good fight, almost enough to take the match to what would have been a coinflip penalty shootout.
    — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of extra
Noun
  • As Italy’s longest river, the Po delivers plenty of nutrients to the lagoons — both from natural sources and from human activities like farming — that provide a surplus of food for sea critters, including blue crabs.
    — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • Lamont’s chief fiscal focus since 2020 has been on channeling $11 billion in surpluses — forced by aggressive savings rules — to whittle down a hefty pension debt created over seven decades prior to 2011.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026
Definition of surplus
Noun
  • This excessiveness can hinder critical knowledge building because of the sheer amount of information that can be accessed simultaneously at any time.
    — Carmen Daniela Maier, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
Definition of excessiveness
Verb
  • Corporations lay off workers en masse in hopes of replicating their labor with LLMs.
    — Matthew Ismael Ruiz, Pitchfork, 26 June 2026
  • For Ali, a Tehrani technician who had to lay off his half a dozen workers, the economic situation isn’t theoretical.
    — Kay Armin Serjoie, Time, 17 June 2026
Definition of lay off
Adjective
  • For a retiree sharing a spare room or a parent listing their college student’s bedroom, hosting can mean the difference between staying in their home and losing it.
    — Nathan Blecharczyk, New York Daily News, 19 July 2026
  • Swatch said the gold used for the watches dates back to the same period and is derived from old Omega spare parts.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Definition of spare
Noun
  • In Citrus County, where a small town was slated to play host to Florida’s first hyperscale data center, opponents of the project packed the commission and exceeded its overflow room, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
    — Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • The mansion itself was originally constructed in 1640 to accommodate the overflow of guests to their hunting parties; the porticos on the eastern and westerly wings were once stable doors.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 July 2026
Definition of overflow
Verb
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the country’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, after days of widespread protests against the removal of the country’s popular defense minister.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • He was sacked in October 2011 after just eleven games in charge, with the club’s board citing poor results and a lack of improvement in performances.
    — Sam Leveridge, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of sack
Noun
  • Advertisement Financial records are a key avenue for investigation but increasingly problematic with the sheer abundance of services available.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 20 July 2026
  • Previous strong El Niños also have brought a lower abundance, and a more northward shift, of market squid, Leising told The Times.
    — Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of abundance

Browse Nearby Words

excerpts
excess
excessed
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Cite this Entry

“Excess.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excess. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of excess for Spanish Speakers

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