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View synonyms for too

too

[ too ]

adverb

  1. in addition; also; furthermore; moreover:

    young, clever, and rich too.

  2. to an excessive extent or degree; beyond what is desirable, fitting, or right:

    too sick to travel.

  3. more, as specified, than should be:

    too near the fire.

  4. (used as an affirmative to contradict a negative statement):

    I am too!

  5. extremely; very:

    She wasn't too pleased with his behavior.



too

/ tuː /

adverb

  1. as well; in addition; also

    can I come too?

  2. in or to an excessive degree; more than a fitting or desirable amount

    I have too many things to do

  3. extremely

    you're too kind

  4. informal.
    indeed: used to reinforce a command

    you will too do it!

  5. too right!
    certainly; indeed
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Usage

See very
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Word History and Origins

Origin of too1

First recorded before 900; Middle English to, Old English, stressed variant of to (for the adverb); spelling too since the 16th century
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Word History and Origins

Origin of too1

Old English tō; related to Old Frisian, Old Saxon to, Old High German zou; see to 1
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Idioms and Phrases

More idioms and phrases containing too

  • carry too far
  • (too) close to home
  • eat one's cake and have it, too
  • go too far
  • irons in the fire, too many
  • life is too short
  • none too
  • not (too) bad
  • only too
  • speak too soon
  • spread oneself too thin
  • take on (too much)
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Example Sentences

But along with the cartoon funk is an all-too-real story of police brutality embodied by a horde of evil Pigs.

I remember H. Jon Benjamin told me it was a way-too-late apology for Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In the not-too-distant future, the AMRAAM might also be out-ranged by new weapons that are being developed around the world.

Jennifer Lawrence has long been praised for her authenticity in a Hollywood elite full of all-too-carefully curated personalities.

Sheets of bright-but-not-too-bright blue streaked with thin clouds.

Coppy, in a tone of too-hastily-assumed authority, had told her over night that she must not ride out by the river.

From time to time Lockhart gave vent to a grim laugh, and Spivin displayed his feelings in a too-amiable smile.

Sylvan scenes, with a dash of human savagery in the foreground, form the best relief for a too-extended assimilation of books.

Then she looked more hopeful as her eyes rested on Betty, who was sorting the contents of a too-crowded dresser drawer.

Characteristically, this weakness seems to have taken the form of a too-generous estimate of his fellows.

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Too Vs. To Vs. Two

What's the difference between too, to, and two?

Too means also (I’m going, too) or to an excessive degree (too much). To is a very common word that performs many different functions, such as expressing direction (I’m driving to the office) or contact (Pin it to the wall), indicating an object or recipient (Give it to me), or setting a range (9 to 5) or limit (These go to 11). Two is the number equal to one plus one.

The words are used in very different ways: too is an adverb, to is most commonly used as a preposition, and two is a number that can be used as a noun or an adjective.

Perhaps the most common mistake involving the three words is using to when it should be too, or vice versa. Remember, if you mean to, don’t use too many o’s!

Here’s an example of too, to, and two used correctly in the same sentence.

Example: We went to two two-star restaurants, and it was two two-star restaurants too many!

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between too, to, and two.

Quiz yourself on too vs. to vs. two!

Should too, to, or two be used in the following sentence?

I like pizza, _____, you know.

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.

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tonytoo bad