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

Sheinbaum has long been known as cautious to a fault.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

But due to a fault in processing procedures, if you file your return in the final hours or days before the deadline, you risk being mistakenly classified as a late-filer and charged a 5% penalty.

From Barron's ● Mar. 28, 2026

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

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 17, 2026

National Rail said the outage had led to a fault with the signalling system which meant lines were currently blocked, leading to many services being cancelled or delayed.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2025

But for someone who did not believe in taking anything from anyone else, he was generous to a fault.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh