a gross excess

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a gross excess" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where something is significantly more than what is considered normal or acceptable. Example: "The company faced criticism for a gross excess of spending on luxury items while cutting employee benefits."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Excessive uptake of a single amino acid, causing a gross excess in the intracellular level of this amino acid, was suggested to result in toxicity through possible tRNA synthetase mischarging and concomitant protein malfunctioning.

BioEssays

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

And the filmmakers and Leo keep telling us that it's a cautionary tale of gross excess or a reflection of our own chiseled souls.

Huffington Post

Thankfully, we have avoided the grotesque comedy of the zucchini and the summer squash, but despite this brief lapse into restraint, the angles of the stakes propping up the tomatoes are nothing so much as a diagram for gross excess.

The New York Times

The Scrooges of the world might view the whole endeavor as gross excess, a temple to consumerism but to hear Dwight McCarter, the Inn's guest relations manager, tell it, there's nowhere on earth like his hotel.

Vice

The Scrooges of the world might view the whole endeavour as gross excess, a temple to consumerism – but to hear Dwight McCarter, the Inn's guest relations manager, tell it, there's nowhere on earth like his hotel.

Vice

It's the worst kind of gross excess and self-indulgence.

The New York Times

Coined by Andrew Harrison of The Word magazine, it captured that sense of alarming overproduction, the gross excess of supply over demand.

The Guardian - Music

One suspects that enjoying Wagner, singing Wagner, anything to do with Wagner, is in gross excess of the requirements of natural selection.

The New Yorker

Labour's silence on gross excess is partly why left of centre voters vacillate between two parties whose supporters are pretty much the same.

The Guardian - Opinion

In particular, the 61-year-old archbishop will "fight for the poor and marginalised", who he considers have suffered from the coalition's failure to address the "gross excess" of the financial world, the friends said.

The Times

This is the opposite of the case with mammalian blood (non-nucleated erythrocytes) and was apparently due to the gross excess of DNA introduced into the PCR reaction from the nucleated red blood cells.

BMC Ecology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a gross excess" to emphasize the magnitude or unacceptable level of something, particularly when discussing quantities or amounts that significantly exceed what is expected or appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "a gross excess" when you simply mean a large amount. The phrase carries a negative connotation, implying the excess is undesirable or inappropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a gross excess" functions as a noun phrase, often acting as the subject or object of a sentence. According to Ludwig AI, it describes a situation where something is significantly more than what is considered normal or acceptable. It's used to emphasize an unacceptable level of something.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Science

24%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a gross excess" is grammatically correct but relatively rare. According to Ludwig AI, it is used to describe a situation where something exceeds what is considered normal or acceptable, often carrying a negative connotation. It functions as a noun phrase expressing disapproval of an undesirable amount. Primarily found in News & Media and Science, its register is neutral to formal. Be mindful of its judgmental tone and use it when you want to emphasize the magnitude and unacceptability of a surplus.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an extreme excess

Replaces "gross" with "extreme", emphasizing the high degree of excess.

a considerable excess

Replaces "gross" with "considerable", highlighting the substantial nature of the excess.

an egregious excess

Substitutes "gross" with "egregious", indicating that the excess is outstandingly bad or shocking.

an undue excess

Replaces "gross" with "undue", suggesting that the excess is unwarranted or inappropriate.

an immoderate excess

Substitutes "gross" with "immoderate", highlighting the lack of restraint in the excess.

a marked excess

Replaces "gross" with "marked", suggesting the excess is easily noticeable.

a significant excess

Replaces "gross" with "significant", emphasizing the importance or size of the excess.

a large excess

Uses "large" instead of "gross" to denote the magnitude of the excess.

a substantial overage

Replaces "excess" with "overage" and "gross" with "substantial", emphasizing the surplus.

a glaring overabundance

Replaces "excess" with "overabundance" and "gross" with "glaring" indicating a very obvious surplus.

FAQs

How can I use "a gross excess" in a sentence?

You can use "a gross excess" to describe a situation where something is present in an unacceptably large or extreme amount. For example, "The report revealed "a gross excess" of spending on unnecessary items."

What phrases are similar in meaning to "a gross excess"?

Similar phrases include "an extreme excess", "a considerable excess", and "an egregious excess". The choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "a gross excess"?

It's appropriate to use "a gross excess" when you want to emphasize not only the large quantity of something, but also the negative implications or inappropriateness of that quantity.

Is "a gross excess" formal or informal?

The phrase "a gross excess" can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but it is more common in formal writing or speech due to its relatively strong and critical connotation.