excess

[ noun ik-ses, ek-ses; adjective verb ek-ses, ik-ses ]

noun

1. the fact of exceeding exceeding something else in amount or degree:

   His strength is in excess of yours.

2. the amount or degree by which one thing exceeds another:

   The bill showed an excess of several hundred dollars over the estimate.

3. an extreme or excessive amount or degree; superabundance:

   to have an excess of energy.

   Synonyms: surplus

   Antonyms: deficiency, lack

4. a going beyond what is regarded as customary or proper:

   to talk to excess.

5. immoderate indulgence; intemperance in eating, drinking, etc.

adjective

1. more than or above what is necessary, usual, or specified; extra:

   a charge for excess baggage; excess profits.

verb (used with object)

1. to dismiss, demote, transfer, or furlough (an employee), especially as part of a mass layoff.

excess

noun

1. the state or act of going beyond normal, sufficient, or permitted limits
2. an immoderate or abnormal amount, number, extent, or degree too much or too many

   an excess of tolerance

3. the amount, number, extent, or degree by which one thing exceeds another
4. chem a quantity of a reagent that is greater than the quantity required to complete a reaction

   add an excess of acid

5. overindulgence or intemperance
6. insurance a specified contribution towards the cost of a claim, stipulated on certain insurance policies as being payable by the policyholder
7. in excess of
   of more than; over
8. to excess
   to an inordinate extent; immoderately

   he drinks to excess

adjective

1. more than normal, necessary, or permitted; surplus

   excess weight

2. payable as a result of previous underpayment

   an excess fare for a railway journey

   excess postage

Word History and Origins

Origin of excess¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun and adjective), from Latin excessus “departure, digression,” noun use of past participle of excēdere “to go out”; exceed

Word History and Origins

Origin of excess¹

C14: from Latin excessus, from excēdere to go beyond; see exceed

Idioms and Phrases

see carry too far (to excess) ; in excess of .

Example Sentences

Let the excess liquid evaporate away by bringing the substance to a boil or a simmer until the desired consistency is reached.

From Washington Post

Wyden seems to have been persuaded that the best way to contain the possible excesses of speech on the internet was the influence of market forces.

From ProPublica

While these wake-up calls to our own waste are certainly effective, many of the artists seem more interested in using excess as a way of expressing reverence for nature.

From Washington Post

When town officials and lawmakers try to walk back the excess, the unions hold their ground.

From ProPublica

It’s a Super Bowl being conducted without its usual excesses.

From Washington Post

It is likely that no one is sadder about this development than Steinberg, whose famous annual party in the host city has come to symbolize not only the game but the uniquely American excess it celebrates.

From Washington Post

Production fell too, as all of a sudden, the market was flooded with millions of excess wings.

From Washington Post

Yet, there is absolutely no doubt that excess sodium is resulting in deaths.

From Washington Post

On Wednesday, a Senate subcommittee unanimously recommended rejection of one of the bills, which would scrap the provision that allows Dominion to keep 30% of its excess profits.

From ProPublica

While the Rivals ammo won’t be traveling nearly as fast as a golf ball off of a driver, those little yellow projectiles can reach speeds in excess of 60 mph with some blasters.

From Popular-Science

Shake off any excess flour and gently place in the heated oil.

From The Daily Beast

Fold over the edges and crimp, then trim any remaining excess.

From The Daily Beast

Following the pre-recession excess of T-Pain and Akon, hip-hop was in search of greater authenticity.

From The Daily Beast

The Senate Intelligence Committee report says they secured a contract with the CIA in 2006 valued “in excess of $180 million.”

From The Daily Beast

By the way, killjoys, American charitable giving goes up by 42 percent during this season of crass materialistic greed and excess.

From The Daily Beast

And some specialize in treating women, who have different risk factors for excess drinking.

From The Daily Beast

“Most women are not drinking to excess because they feel ‘powerful’ in the first place,” she says.

From The Daily Beast

The power produced will be used by the house, while excess power will flow into the grid and be used by nearby homes.

From The Daily Beast

The deluge comes from the ceiling, where excess rainwater has worked its way into the subway car from outside.

From The Daily Beast

Ah, the Fourth of July, our annual celebration of not just our love of country but our love of excess and danger.

From The Daily Beast

Sometimes an excess of caution is the most careless approach of all.

From The Daily Beast

Whenever the script seems ready to surrender to maudlin excess, Gosling and McAdams are there to pull it back.

From The Daily Beast

Salt (or, more specifically, sodium) excess goes by the medical term “hypernatremia.”

From The Daily Beast

Drinks are one of the easiest ways to take in excess calories, sugar and fat.

From The Daily Beast

And food, far from being a source of energy and enjoyment, has become a battleground of guilt and shame and excess and starvation.

From The Daily Beast

But Sciortino cut her teeth in that world of excess irony, cynicism, and posturing.

From The Daily Beast

Had the prime minister, talking to a Chinese audience, got out ahead of the professionals in an excess of enthusiasm?

From The Daily Beast

It caused 71,499 excess deaths, considerably more than the number of U.S. casualties in the Vietnam war.

From The Daily Beast

There is excess supply in the overall labor market for all but a few categories of employees.

From The Daily Beast

And more babies are being breastfed, and for longer periods of time—a proven way to keep off excess weight in children.

From The Daily Beast

Victor was proud of his achievement, and went about recommending it and urging every one to partake of it to excess.

From Project Gutenberg

The authorization borne by him was very extraordinary and had a great excess of the ordinary warrants.

From Project Gutenberg

(d) Excess balances may, at the convenience of each federal reserve bank, remain deposited with the gold settlement fund.

From Project Gutenberg

To talk of an excess of labor, or an inability to employ it, in such a country as Ireland, is to insult the general understanding.

From Project Gutenberg

All applications, including therein any on which action may have been deferred because in excess of the aforesaid 10 per cent.

From Project Gutenberg

Byron wrote dashingly about 'sublime Tobacco,' but I do not think he carried the practice to excess.

From Project Gutenberg

Excess of any of these structures may result from excessive ingestion or deficient intestinal digestion.

From Project Gutenberg

Tuberculous pleurisy due to direct extension from the lung may give excess of polymorphonuclears owing to mixed infection.

From Project Gutenberg

Dorothy kissed the dear old dog in her excess of gratitude—his presence gave her courage.

From Project Gutenberg

Circumstances had altered his attitude to the Excess Profits Duty, and he was now determined to stick to it.

From Project Gutenberg

The excess of stain is poured off, and the preparation introduced slowly, with the film side down, into distilled water.

From Project Gutenberg

Excess and abuse may be found in the smoking and chewing of tobacco as in other things.

From Project Gutenberg

There was much excess tobacco in Virginia itself, some tobacco even rotting on the farms.

From Project Gutenberg

She was pretty to excess, one of those little brown women that men admire and often trust.

From Project Gutenberg

It may be carried to an excess, and so admit of these objections, but in moderation the custom is a good and pleasant one.

From Project Gutenberg

His mind with all its sternness ever tended to clemency, and his constitutional prudence, or measure, forbade purposeless excess.

From Project Gutenberg

She appears to have Irish virtue in excess, and I expect the larky would get short shrift from her.

From Project Gutenberg

For the rest, it was scored by lines that stamped it with the appearance of an age in excess of his thirty years.

From Project Gutenberg

A moiling, toiling man, who shows no mercy to himself, is only lenient to others by excess of reason.

From Project Gutenberg

Blessed nature, healthy, temperate nature, abhors and exterminates excess.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• exuberance
• glut
• overkill
• surplus
• waste