What does "too" mean?
Likewise.
Too
/tu/ adv, slang
adv, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Likewise.
- Grammar: too is listed as adv, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: also, as well, excessively, likewise.
- Useful contrasts: adequate, enough, only.
- Usage evidence: They are too busy fighting against each other to care for common ideals.
How to use "too"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "too" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "too" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "too" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "too" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "too" is acting as adv, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "also" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "too", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adverb
- 1 Likewise. focus, not-comparable
"The preposterous altruism too![…]Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog."
- 2 Also, in addition marks a statement as equally valid as the preceding one. conjunctive, not-comparable
"There has been a cutback in federal subsidies. Rates have been increasing too."
- 3 To an excessive degree, more than enough indicates that the degree of a quality is more than what is needed or wanted. not-comparable
"Near-synonyms: extremely, unnecessarily, all too"
- 4 To a high degree, very. colloquial, not-comparable
"She doesn't talk too much. I'm not too sure about this."
- 5 Used to contradict a negative assertion with present and simple past forms of be, do, and auxiliary verbs childish, colloquial, emphatic, not-comparable
"You're not old enough yet. ― I am too!"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 Used for emphasis, without reference to any previous statement. archaic, colloquial, not-comparable
"The trooper thanks his informant and rides slowly on, looking about him. […] He comes to a gateway in the brick wall, looks in, and sees a great perplexity of iron lying about in every stage and in a vast variety of shapes— […] "This is a place to make a man's head ache too!" says the trooper, looking about him for a counting-house."
Adverb
- 1 to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits wordnet
- 2 in addition wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"They are too busy fighting against each other to care for common ideals."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "too"?
Common synonyms include: also, as well, excessively, likewise, overly, above.
How do you use "too" in a sentence?
They are too busy fighting against each other to care for common ideals.
How do you pronounce "too"?
Pronounced /tu/.
Etymology
From Middle English to (“also, in addition to”), from Old English tō (“furthermore, also, besides”), adverbial use of preposition tō (“to, into”). The sense of "in addition, also" deriving from the original meaning of "apart, separately" (compare Old English prefix tō- (“apart”)). Doublet of to; see there for more.