Origin: Latin suffix -ive
Excessive has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
beyond normal limits
"excessive charges"
"a book of inordinate length"
"his dress stops just short of undue elegance"
"unreasonable demands"
unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings
"extravagant praise"
"exuberant compliments"
"overweening ambition"
"overweening greed"
Exceeding the usual bounds of something; extravagant; immoderate.
"His excessive spending on luxury cars quickly drained his savings account."
In plain English: Excessive means going too far and being more than is needed or allowed.
"The excessive noise from the construction site kept us awake all night."
Usage: Use excessive to describe an amount or degree that goes beyond what is normal, reasonable, or necessary. It often implies a negative judgment when describing behavior like spending or consumption.
The word comes from the Middle English phrase excess plus -ive, which was borrowed through Old French and Medieval Latin. It originally combined these parts to describe something that goes beyond normal limits or is too great in amount.