excessively

excessively
exceedingly, excessively
Both words came into use in the late 15c. Exceedingly (16c in its current meaning) means ‘very, extremely’, and is now used only with adjectives and adverbs (most often well):

• His room was exceedingly cold —P. Fitzgerald, 1982

• Judd was doing exceedingly well as an air cadet —C. Lorrimer, 1993.

Excessively has a much stronger meaning ‘too, by too much’, and is used with verbs as well as adjectives and adverbs:

• She may exercise excessively, spending hours each day in the gymnasium —Abraham & Llewellyn-Jones, 1984

• In Enid Blyton's work, this excessively simple world picture is carried to extremes —N. Tucker, 1981.


Modern English usage. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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