adj ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Adjective

1. 1
   Exceeding the usual bounds of something; too much (of amount); extravagant; immoderate.

   "The movie's excessive use of special effects distracted from the plot."

Adjective

1. 1
   beyond normal limits wordnet
2. 2
   unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

extravagantinordinatea bit muchabandonedacuteaggrandized

Antonyms

All antonyms

conservationcondigndeficientinsufficient

Example

More examples

"Excessive indulgence spoiled the child."

Etymology

From Middle English excessive, excessif, from Old French excessif, from Medieval Latin excessivus, equivalent to excess + -ive.

Related phrases

excessive numberultra-excessive

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.