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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.

"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

That leaves the BOJ in a familiar bind: Hike too soon and risk clipping fragile growth, or hold back and risk damaging household confidence, plus U.S. scrutiny if the yen weakens excessively.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

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

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

But according to the Cour des Comptes, the new system relied excessively – and mistakenly – on good faith.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

The second was that he was excessively alert to the self-interest and self-promotion of others.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

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.