inordinately
Americanadverb
-
in a way or to a degree that goes beyond proper or reasonable limits; immoderately or excessively.
He was inordinately proud of his ability to read Latin.
If your teen is inordinately anxious about school and grades, this is the time to be watchful.
-
in a disordered or uncontrolled way.
All economists, I am advised, agree that the principle of competition operates inordinately in certain industries.
Etymology
Origin of inordinately
First recorded in 1425–75; inordinate ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
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.
To put it another way, it seems inordinately difficult for our media class to make the daring leap from “it quacks like a duck” to the conclusion that it actually is one.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Iran "is inordinately more complex than Venezuela," with more diffuse centers of power.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
The inordinately high number of fatalities at the Hyundai property is an indication of a lax safety culture, said Ahmed Al-Bayati, founding director of the Construction Safety Research Center at Lawrence Technological University, in Michigan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2025
That just takes 80-something victories, and any owner suggesting it is inordinately challenging to compete for a playoff spot should sell before he embarrasses himself any further.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 17, 2025
Holmes seemed inordinately attentive to Gertie and Julia.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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.
