excess — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The state of surpassing or going beyond a limit; the state of being beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; more than what is usual or proper.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   overagesuperabundancesurplus

   Antonyms

   deficiencylackshortage

   Examples

   The excess of heavy water was given away to the neighbouring country.

   I leaped up in an excess of enthusiasm.

   More examples (3)

   To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, […] Is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

   That kills me with excess of grief, this with excess of joy.

   [...] after the original Victorian station was demolished and then entombed in concrete in the 1960s, Birmingham New Street became a byword for the worst excesses of the much-loathed Brutalist architecture so widely used to reconstruct inner-city post-war Britain.

2. The degree or amount by which one thing or number exceeds another; remainder.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   The difference between two numbers is the excess of one over the other.

3. An act of eating or drinking more than enough.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess.

   Fair Angel, thy desire . . . . . . leads to no excess That reaches blame

4. Spherical excess, the amount by which the sum of the three angles of a spherical triangle exceeds two right angles. The spherical excess is proportional to the area of the triangle.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

5. A condition on an insurance policy by which the insured pays for a part of the claim.

   Usage

   • UK usage
   • Countable
   • Uncountable

Adjective

1. More than is normal, necessary or specified.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Synonyms

   offcutsurplus

Verb

1. To declare (an employee) surplus to requirements, such that he or she might not be given work.

   Usage

   • US usage
   • Transitive

   Related words

   usury

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   In 2006, I was excessed because my program had to make a few cuts and a new, inexperienced supervisor decided that he couldn’t handle a knowledgeable older teacher so he removed me.

Adjective

1. more than is needed, desired, or required

   Synonyms

   extraredundantsparesupererogatorysuperfluoussupernumerarysurplus

   Examples

   trying to lose excess weight

   found some extra change lying on the dresser

   More examples (8)

   yet another book on heraldry might be thought redundant

   skills made redundant by technological advance

   sleeping in the spare room

   supernumerary ornamentation

   it was supererogatory of her to gloat

   delete superfluous (or unnecessary) words

   extra ribs as well as other supernumerary internal parts

   surplus cheese distributed to the needy

Noun

1. a quantity much larger than is needed

   Synonyms

   surplussurplusagenimiety

   Broader terms

   overabundanceovermuchovermuchnesssuperabundance

2. immoderation as a consequence of going beyond sufficient or permitted limits

   Synonyms

   excessivenessinordinateness

   Broader terms

   immoderationimmoderateness

3. the state of being more than full

   Synonyms

   surfeitoverabundance

   Broader terms

   fullness

4. excessive indulgence

   Synonyms

   overindulgence

   Broader terms

   indulgenceindulgingpamperinghumoringhumouring

   Examples

   the child was spoiled by overindulgence