Synonym Chooser

How is the word inordinate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of inordinate are excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, and immoderate. While all these words mean "going beyond a normal limit," inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment.

inordinate pride

When is excessive a more appropriate choice than inordinate?

The words excessive and inordinate can be used in similar contexts, but excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.

excessive punishment

When could exorbitant be used to replace inordinate?

The words exorbitant and inordinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree.

exorbitant prices

When can extravagant be used instead of inordinate?

The meanings of extravagant and inordinate largely overlap; however, extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste.

extravagant claims for the product

Where would extreme be a reasonable alternative to inordinate?

Although the words extreme and inordinate have much in common, extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree.

extreme shyness

When is it sensible to use immoderate instead of inordinate?

The synonyms immoderate and inordinate are sometimes interchangeable, but immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint.

immoderate spending

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 inordinate One was a bald comedian with glasses who complained constantly and had an inordinate fear of halitosis. Larry David, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025 Factory ships deplete fisheries in a matter of years and an inordinate amount of sea life also perishes in their nets. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2025 New car buyers pay a premium Car buyers pay an inordinate premium for new vehicles. Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025 The parents spend an inordinate amount of time bringing them food and keeping a close eye on them. Monica Deeks, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inordinate
Adjective
  • Its bladeless construction is designed to pull in air and powerfully circulate it around the room, all without accumulating excessive dust like standard fans do—a double plus in my book.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
  • And although its fats are healthy, excessive intake can still contribute to unwanted pounds.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Women in particular were subjected to extreme violence.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Potential adversaries interpret political action in zero-sum terms; see malice and evil design in mere blunders and coincidence; trumpet necessity rather than navigate choice; and, in extreme cases, invent pretext or promise profit to make more palatable a dubious cause.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Luckily, this option from Quince offers all of the luxury without the steep price tag typically associated with cashmere.
    Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
  • This resulted in a dearth of micro-collections of organic cotton T-shirts or one-off collections that didn’t address the company’s larger goals, while general consumption and production were on a steep rise.
    Bella Webb, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The sanity phase of his trial began Thursday to determine whether Nicholson was legally insane at the time of the murders.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
  • This lockdown is insane & disturbing with what happened during our investigation.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Gather with friends and while away the afternoon with magically spiked concoctions — whether sipping a Jasmine Peach or Cucumber Mint Mystic Tea — and extravagant savory and sweet treats.
    Kathryn Streeter, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Andrew later invited the couple back to Windsor in 2006 for his daughter Princess Beatrice’s extravagant 18th birthday ball, according to Britain’s The Sun on Sunday newspaper.
    Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inordinate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inordinate

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