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Synonyms

excessively

American  
[ik-ses-iv-lee] / ɪkˈsɛs ɪv li /

adverb

  1. in a way that goes beyond the usual, necessary, or proper limit or degree.

    Applying an excessively thick layer of mulch limits oxygen in the soil and can suffocate the plants.

Other Word Forms

  • nonexcessively adverb
  • quasi-excessively adverb
  • unexcessively adverb

Etymology

Origin of excessively

excessive ( def. ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr. Phillips’s prose borders on the excessively academic, but he writes lucidly about his areas of expertise.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

"Bones are overly smooth, spines unnaturally straight, lungs overly symmetrical, blood vessel patterns excessively uniform, and fractures appear unusually clean and consistent, often limited to one side of the bone."

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

Kaley has been diagnosed with body dysmorphia, a condition where people worry excessively about their physical appearance.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Taxi drivers in Greece on Wednesday kicked off a two-day nationwide strike over new rules which they say excessively favour private vehicles for hire.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

But he had no interest in measurement or experiment; he thought Copernicus was excessively preoccupied with mathematical problems.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.