Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for excessively. Search instead for excessive gambling.
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.

Auditors that take an excessively light-touch approach can face SEC penalties.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

To describe the phenomenon, he used the slang word "glazing" -- to excessively praise something.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

Kaley has since been diagnosed with body dysmorphia, a condition where people worry excessively about their physical appearance and do not see themselves as others do.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Researchers found that LRG1 causes cells surrounding the eye's tiniest blood vessels to tighten excessively and 'squeeze' them.

From Science Daily • Mar. 7, 2026

This was his plan of amends—of atonement—for inheriting their father’s estate; and he thought it an excellent one, full of eligibility and suitableness, and excessively generous and disinterested on his own part.

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

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.