excessive
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of excessive
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ( see excess, -ive); replacing Middle English excessif, from Middle French
Explanation
Excessive means beyond what is typical or normal. When something is excessive, there's way too much. Excessive refers to something that is extra — usually in a negative way. A 90-second drum solo in a two-minute song is excessive. Getting down on your knees and kissing someone's feet to thank them for a favor is excessive, unless they gave you their firstborn. Often this means something that exceeds the bounds of good taste, or is extravagant and inappropriately expensive. You should dress up for dinner, but wearing a ball gown to a diner is excessive.
Vocabulary lists containing excessive
The Bill of Rights
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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List 5
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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.
Inflammation is part of the body's normal immune response, but chronic or excessive inflammation in the brain can become harmful.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
For his seven seasons with the Clippers, he was a part-time worker getting paid excessive overtime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
Is such entrepreneurial go-getting to be applauded, or is it excessive youthful chutzpah?
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
It will "continue to provide the necessary guidance if there is a high risk that health problems caused by excessive work may arise," the ministry said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
We were so tightly packed into that narrow courtyard that some children fainted from excessive heat and stuffiness.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
