adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɪkˈsɛsɪv/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛsɪv
homophone: exessive
CMU ARPABET:IH0 K S EH1 S IH0 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Exceeding the usual bounds of something; too much (of amount); extravagant; immoderate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
The movie's excessive use of special effects distracted from the plot.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: insufficient, deficient
2
adjective satellite
Meaning 2
beyond normal limits
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
excessive charges
a book of inordinate length
his dress stops just short of undue elegance
unreasonable demands
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: inordinate, undue, unreasonable
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
extravagant praise
exuberant compliments
overweening ambition
overweening greed
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: extravagant, exuberant, overweening
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English excessive, excessif, from Old French excessif, from Medieval Latin excessivus, equivalent to excess + -ive.
Across languages
Translations
63 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مُفْرِط
(mufriṭ)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Arabic:
زَائِد
(zāʔid)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Armenian:
ավելորդ
(avelord)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Bulgarian:
прекален
(prekalen)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Bulgarian:
прекомерен
(prekomeren)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Catalan:
excessiu
— exceeding the bounds of something
Chinese Mandarin:
過度 /过度
(guòdù)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Chinese Mandarin:
過分 /过分
(guòfèn)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Czech:
nadměrný
— exceeding the bounds of something
Dutch:
overmatig
— exceeding the bounds of something
Esperanto:
troa
— exceeding the bounds of something
Esperanto:
ekscesa
— exceeding the bounds of something
Finnish:
liiallinen
— exceeding the bounds of something
Finnish:
yletön
— exceeding the bounds of something
French:
excessif
— exceeding the bounds of something
Galician:
excesivo
— exceeding the bounds of something
Georgian:
ზედმეტი
(zedmeṭi)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Georgian:
მეტისმეტი
(meṭismeṭi)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Georgian:
გადაჭარბებული
(gadač̣arbebuli)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Georgian:
ზომაგადასული
(zomagadasuli)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Georgian:
უზომო
(uzomo)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Georgian:
ჭარბი
(č̣arbi)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Georgian:
გადამეტებული
(gadameṭebuli)
— exceeding the bounds of something
German:
übermäßig
— exceeding the bounds of something
German:
exzessiv
— exceeding the bounds of something
Greek:
υπερβολικός
(ypervolikós)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Greek:
υπέρμετρος
(ypérmetros)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Ancient Greek:
ὑπέρμετρος
(hupérmetros)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Ancient Greek:
μέγας
(mégas)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Hindi:
अतिरिक्त
(atirikt)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Hungarian:
túlzott
— exceeding the bounds of something
Icelandic:
óhóflegur
— exceeding the bounds of something
Irish:
iomarcach
— exceeding the bounds of something
Italian:
eccessivo
— exceeding the bounds of something
Japanese:
過度の
(kado no)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Korean:
과도의
(gwado-ui)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Latin:
nimius
— exceeding the bounds of something
Latin:
improbus
— exceeding the bounds of something
Latvian:
pārmērīgs
— exceeding the bounds of something
Latvian:
pārliecīgs
— exceeding the bounds of something
Macedonian:
пре́теран
(préteran)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Macedonian:
преку́мерен
(prekúmeren)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Māori:
tuhene
— exceeding the bounds of something
Māori:
inati
— exceeding the bounds of something
Māori:
rikarika
— exceeding the bounds of something
Norwegian Bokmål:
overdreven
— exceeding the bounds of something
Norwegian Nynorsk:
overdriven
— exceeding the bounds of something
Occitan:
excessiu
— exceeding the bounds of something
Polish:
nadmierny
— exceeding the bounds of something
Polish:
wygórowany
— exceeding the bounds of something
Portuguese:
excessivo
— exceeding the bounds of something
Romanian:
excesiv
— exceeding the bounds of something
Russian:
ли́шний
(líšnij)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Russian:
изли́шний
(izlíšnij)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Russian:
чрезме́рный
(črezmérnyj)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Russian:
избы́точный
(izbýtočnyj)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Scottish Gaelic:
anabarrach
— exceeding the bounds of something
Spanish:
excesivo
— exceeding the bounds of something
Swedish:
överdriven
— exceeding the bounds of something
Tagalog:
labis
— exceeding the bounds of something
Ottoman Turkish:
آشیری
(aşırı)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Ukrainian:
надмі́рний
(nadmírnyj)
— exceeding the bounds of something
Ukrainian:
непомі́рний
(nepomírnyj)
— exceeding the bounds of something
