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ex·ces·sive (ĭk-sĕsĭv)
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adj.
Exceeding a normal, usual, reasonable, or proper limit.
ex·cessive·ly adv.
ex·cessive·ness n.
Synonyms: excessive, immoderate, intemperate, inordinate, extravagant, extreme
These adjectives mean exceeding a normal, usual, reasonable, or proper limit. Excessive has the widest range: excessive drinking; excessive debt. Immoderate and intemperate denote a lack of due moderation or restraint: immoderate political views; intemperate personal remarks. Inordinate adds to these words a sense of going beyond what is proper or deserved: inordinate self-regard; took an inordinate time to reply. Extravagant sometimes specifies lavish or unwise expenditure (extravagant gifts); often it implies overstepping the bounds of reason or prudence (extravagant claims; extravagant speculation in the stock market). Extreme suggests going far beyond what is normal, desirable, or generally acceptable: an extreme diet; an extreme ideology.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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