First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1excess
noun ex·cess \ik-ˈses, ˈek-ˌ\
: an amount that is more than the usual or necessary amount
: behavior that is considered wrong because it goes beyond what is usual, normal, or proper
excesses : actions or ways of behaving that go beyond what is usual or proper
Full Definition of EXCESS
1
a : the state or an instance of surpassing usual, proper, or specified limits : superfluity b : the amount or degree by which one thing or quantity exceeds another <an excess of 10 bushels>
2
: undue or immoderate indulgence : intemperance; also : an act or instance of intemperance <prevent excesses and abuses by newly created local powers — Albert Shanker>
— in excess of
: to an amount or degree beyond : over
See excess defined for English-language learners
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Origin of EXCESS
Middle English, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French exces, from Late Latin excessus, from Latin, departure, projection, from excedere to exceed
Related to EXCESS
- Synonyms
- bellyful, fat, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, overplus, oversupply, plethora, plus, redundancy, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, surplusage
- Antonyms
- deficiency, deficit, insufficiency, undersupply
Rhymes with EXCESS
abscess, access, address, aggress, assess, bench-press, caress, clothespress, coatdress, cold-press, compress, confess, cross-dress, CS, depress, de-stress, digress, distress, drill press, egress, express, finesse, fluoresce, French press, full-dress, handpress, headdress, housedress, idlesse, impress, ingress, Meknes, much less, nightdress, noblesse, no less, obsess, oppress, outguess, possess, precess, prestress, princess, process, profess, progress, recess, redress, regress, re-press, repress, shirtdress, side-dress, SS, success, sundress, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, undress, unless, web press, winepress, word stress
2excess
adjective
: more than is usual, allowed, or needed
Full Definition of EXCESS
: more than the usual, proper, or specified amount
See excess defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of EXCESS
15th century
Related to EXCESS
- Synonyms
- spare, extra, redundant, supererogatory, superfluous, supernumerary, surplus
3excess
verb
Definition of EXCESS
transitive verb
: to eliminate the position of <excessed several teachers because of budget cutbacks>
First Known Use of EXCESS
1971
EXCESS Defined for Kids
1excess
noun ex·cess \ik-ˈses, ˈek-ˌses\
Definition of EXCESS for Kids
1
: a state of being more than enough <Don't eat to excess.>
2
: the amount by which something is or has too much
2excess
adjective
Definition of EXCESS for Kids
: more than is usual or acceptable
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