If you describe the amount or level of something as excessive, you disapprove of it because it is more or higher than is necessary or reasonable.
[disapproval]
...the alleged use of excessive force by police.
The government says that local authority spending is excessive.
Synonyms: immoderate, too much, enormous, extreme More Synonyms of excessive
excessivelyadverb [ADVERB adjective, ADVERB with verb]
Managers are also accused of paying themselves excessively high salaries.
Mum had started taking pills and drinking excessively.
Synonyms: inordinately, unnecessarily, unduly, disproportionately More Synonyms of excessive
Synonyms: immoderately, too much, extravagantly, intemperately More Synonyms of excessive
More Synonyms of excessive
excessive in British English
(ɪkˈsɛsɪv)
adjective
exceeding the normal or permitted extents or limits; immoderate; inordinate
Derived forms
excessively (exˈcessively)
adverb
excessiveness (exˈcessiveness)
noun
excessive in American English
(ɛkˈsɛsɪv; ɪkˈsɛsɪv)
adjective
characterized by excess; being too much or too great; immoderate; inordinate
SYNONYMY NOTE: excessive applies to that which goes beyond what is proper, right, or usual [excessive demands]; exorbitant is applied to that which is unreasonably excessive and often connotes a greedy desirefor more than is just or due [exorbitant prices]; extravagant, immoderate both imply excessiveness resulting from lack of restraint or of prudence [extravagant praise, immoderate laughter]; inordinate implies a going beyond the orderly limits of convention or the bounds of good taste[his inordinate pride]
Derived forms
excessively (exˈcessively)
adverb
excessiveness (exˈcessiveness)
noun
Word origin
ME & OFr excessif < ML excessivus
Examples of 'excessive' in a sentence
excessive
But not with excessive force or violence.
The Sun (2016)
It is serious foul play because he will be using excessive force and endangering the safety of the opponent.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The group said this would complement promised government action to discourage excessive executive pay and to improve worker representation on boards.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was a reckless challenge with excessive force that endangered the player's safety.
The Sun (2016)
Companies claim that this led to excessive and opaque fees, questionable valuations of their assets and being unnecessarily forced out of business.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was reckless and used excessive force, which endangered the opponent's safety.
The Sun (2017)
Since then I've had excessive and random amounts taken from my account.
The Sun (2016)
The charity blamed the increase on the growing popularity of package holidays and excessive use of sunbeds.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Personal injury lawyers deny they charge excessive fees.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He has personally benefited from the culture of excessive risk taking.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Various studies have linked excessive consumption of palm oil with heart disease.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Quite punchy for a man who has attacked excessive executive pay in the past.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Until recently excessive rigidity has also been an issue.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Others say they have been charged excessive fees for modest indiscretions.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Six were reprimanded for using excessive force but all kept their jobs.
The Sun (2013)
Bankers damaged the economy by taking excessive risks.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Forty per cent blamed excessive global fuel consumption.
The Sun (2008)
Paying excessive fees to a fund manager?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The government also decreed against excessive vanity.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Human rights groups say that government forces are using excessive and illegal force.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Sudden excessive exercise should also be monitored.
The Sun (2009)
This suggests that fear of job loss is not a restraint on their willingness to take excessive risk.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Various studies have found that only truly independent board members were likely to push down excessive pay awards.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He argues that the company has not been run efficiently and spends excessive amounts on administration and management costs.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Excessive use of joints and muscles and the distorting ways the victims had to adapt are taking their toll.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
But she admits she struggled to control her weight with bingeing and excessive use of diet pills all her life.
The Sun (2013)
This will leave the choice between a cap on all excessive early exit fees and a flexible cap in certain circumstances.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It is found in most foods, with excessive amounts in processed foods.
Chaitow, Leon The Beat Fatigue Workbook - how to identify the causes (1988)
In other languages
excessive
British English: excessive /ɪkˈsɛsɪv/ ADJECTIVE
If something is excessive, it is too great in amount or degree.
...the use of excessive force by police.
American English: excessive
Arabic: مُفْرِط
Brazilian Portuguese: excessivo
Chinese: 过多的
Croatian: pretjeran
Czech: nadměrný
Danish: overdreven
Dutch: buitensporig
European Spanish: excesivo
Finnish: liiallinen
French: excessif
German: übermäßig
Greek: υπέρμετρος
Italian: eccessivo
Japanese: 度を超えた
Korean: 과도한
Norwegian: overdreven
Polish: nadmierny
European Portuguese: excessivo
Romanian: exagerat
Russian: избыточный
Latin American Spanish: excesivo
Swedish: överdriven
Thai: ซึ่งมากเกินความจำเป็น
Turkish: aşırı
Ukrainian: надмірний
Vietnamese: quá mức
All related terms of 'excessive'
excessive risk
If something that you do is a risk , it might have unpleasant or undesirable results.
excessive speed
The speed of something is the rate at which it moves or travels .
excessive anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of nervousness or worry .
excessive workload
The workload of a person or organization is the amount of work that has to be done by them.
excessive regulation
Regulation is the controlling of an activity or process, usually by means of rules.
Chinese translation of 'excessive'
excessive
(ɪkˈsɛsɪv)
adj
[amount, force]过(過)分的 (guòfèn de)
1 (adjective)
The length of the prison sentence was excessive considering the nature of the crime.
Synonyms
immoderate
too much
enormous
extreme
his extreme political views
exaggerated
Be sceptical of exaggerated claims for what these products can do.
over the top (slang)
The special effects are a bit over the top, but I enjoyed it.
extravagant
I was extravagant in my admiration of them.
needless
Our families thought I was taking a needless risk.
unreasonable
disproportionate
undue
uncontrolled
superfluous
My presence at the afternoon's proceedings was superflous.
prodigal
his prodigal habits
unrestrained
There was unrestrained joy on the faces of the people.
profligate
the most profligate consumer of energy in the world
inordinate
fulsome
They have been fulsome in their praise.
intemperate
the unwisely intemperate language of the party leader
unconscionable
Some child-care centres were charging unconscionable fees.
overmuch
O.T.T. (slang)
2 (adjective)
banks which cripple their customers with excessive charges
Synonyms
inordinate
They spent an inordinate amount of time talking.
unfair
unreasonable
unreasonable increases in the price of petrol
disproportionate
a disproportionate amount of time
undue
It might give them undue influence over the coming negotiations.
unwarranted
exorbitant
exorbitant housing prices
over the odds
extortionate
the extortionate price of designer clothes
immoderate
He launched an immoderate tirade on his son.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of disproportionate
Definition
out of proportion
a disproportionate amount of time
Synonyms
excessive,
too much,
unreasonable,
uneven,
unequal,
unbalanced,
out of proportion,
inordinate,
incommensurate
in the sense of exaggerated
Be sceptical of exaggerated claims for what these products can do.
Synonyms
overstated,
extreme,
excessive,
over the top (informal),
inflated,
extravagant,
overdone,
tall (informal),
amplified,
hyped,
pretentious,
exalted (informal),
overestimated,
overblown,
fulsome,
hyperbolic,
highly coloured,
O.T.T. (slang)
in the sense of exorbitant
Definition
(of prices, demands, etc.) excessively great or high