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Definitions

excess

[ik-ses, ek-ses, ek-ses, ik-ses] / ɪkˈsɛs, ˈɛk sɛs, ˈɛk sɛs, ɪkˈsɛs /
NOUN
overabundance of something
Synonyms
STRONGEST
exuberance glut overkill surplus waste
STRONG
balance by-product enough exorbitance fat fulsomeness inundation lavishness leavings leftover luxuriance nimiety overflow overload overmuch overrun oversupply overweight plenty plethora profusion redundance redundancy refuse remainder residue rest spare superabundance supererogation superfluity surfeit wastefulness
WEAK
overdose recrement the limit too much too much of a good thing
Antonyms
STRONGEST
insufficiency lack need want
STRONG
base core few little scarcity
WEAK
dearth deficiency deprivation economy frugality moderation poverty privation shortcoming
NOUN
overindulgence in personal desires
Synonyms
STRONGEST
extravagance extreme
STRONG
debauchery dissipation dissoluteness exorbitance extremity immoderation indulgence inordinateness intemperance prodigality saturnalia self-indulgence unrestraint
WEAK
immoderacy overdoing
Antonyms
STRONG
unselfishness
WEAK
dearth deficiency deprivation economy frugality insufficiency lack moderation need poverty privation shortcoming want

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Treasurys and significant forex reserves in excess of $250 billion.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

Banks are investing excess capital in expanding their Wall Street businesses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The researchers discovered that excess cholesterol can also push macrophages into a senescent state.

From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026

The bank continues buybacks to manage its $40 billion in excess capital, though it could boost its dividend or fund future investments.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

Even in my own heart I could give no expression to my sensations—they weighed on me with a mountain’s weight and their excess destroyed my agony beneath them.

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

Vocabulary lists containing excess

Much Ado: Synonyms for "Many"

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Theodore Roosevelt on "The Man with the Muck Rake" (1906)

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The Dawes Act

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