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 The spray of fastballs early could have been from trying too hard to meet inordinate hype. Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025 Thrust into the rotation earlier than anticipated due to the Hornets’ inordinate amount of injuries, Salaün’s first year as a professional took an accelerated pace at the outset, speeding at the rate of a fine car traversing the Autobahn. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2025 Markets dislike uncertainty, and the new global tariff wars are creating an inordinate amount of uncertainty, hence the large decline in asset prices this past week. Sal Gilbertie, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025 To that point, why is the federal government granting an inordinate amount of H-1B visas funneling foreign graduates to fill the burgeoning need for engineers and scientists? Martin Potters, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inordinate
Adjective
  • Some locals in Venice, which has dealt with overtourism that has strained the city’s infrastructure and services for years, will protest the wedding over concerns its scale will worsen some of the issues created by excessive tourist crowds.
    Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • According to Mock, your professional maid service will not have the proper tools to safely remove excessive mold issues.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Eric Dane is prepared to go to extreme measures to fight ALS.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2025
  • The introduction of factory manufacturing in the developing world helped to lift over a billion people out of extreme poverty.
    Tony Morley, National Review, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • If that happens, expect a sharp reset in valuations, a spike in bond yields, and a steep correction in the S&P 500.
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • The rainfall threatened flooding and mudslides, especially in areas with steep terrain.
    Luis Alberto Cruz, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Mar. 2025
  • The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.
    Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • And while not as extravagant as Cirque du Soleil (also from Canada), the show still leaves audiences in awe.
    Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
  • There are a plethora of stories out there about the extravagant infrastructure at the base of the world’s highest peak, such as fancy espresso machines, massages, and five-star cuisine.
    Ben Ayers, Outside Online, 12 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inordinate. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inordinate

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