to a fault

Idioms  

1. Excessively, extremely, as in He was generous to a fault. This phrase, always qualifying an adjective, has been so used since the mid-1700s. Indeed, Oliver Goldsmith had this precise usage in The Life of Richard Nash (1762).

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

to a fault

Mr. Pence is courtly, and chivalrous perhaps to a fault.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

You are, almost to a fault, the caretaker of your loved ones.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 17, 2026

The Coastal Act has been aggressively enforced, at times to a fault in the opinion of developers, homeowners, commercial interests and some politicians.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

The market took him at his word, perhaps to a fault.

From Barron's ● Dec. 12, 2025

Normally modest to a fault, she covered her triumphs in detail, adding that “my own experience has been unique.”

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield