English Reference
adverb

excessively

adv.
US /ɪkˈsɛsɪvɫi/ UK /ɛksˈɛsɪvli/ ex·ces·sive·ly

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    in a way that is much more than is necessary, normal, or reasonable.

    to an extreme or disproportionate degree; exceeding the limits of what is considered appropriate or healthy.

    Simple

    He drinks excessively on the weekends and always feels terrible on Monday.

    In context

    The legal team argued that the fine was excessively high, claiming it bore no relation to the actual damages suffered by the plaintiff.

    Pitfall
    The room was excessively of heat. The room was excessively hot.

    Excessively is an adverb and should modify an adjective or a verb, not a noun phrase.

    inordinatelyundulyexceedingly

To deal with her excessively large chest, Robert said she has had to import bras and guesses that the condition has cost her as much as £125,000 a year (C$233,800).

Toronto Sun· 9 Sept 2026

From excessive + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated