excessively small

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "excessively small" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is smaller than what is considered normal or acceptable, often implying that the size is overly diminutive. Example: "The portion of food served at the restaurant was excessively small, leaving me still hungry after the meal."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

24 human-written examples

Excessively large farms (latifundia) and excessively small farms (minifundia) tend to be inefficient.

Encyclopedia Britannica

However, fracture energy also diminished in pieces that contained excessively small particles, with an advanced state of dissolution.

Journal of the European Ceramic Society

Mr. Lloyd and Dr. Postol say their analysis explains how the misidentification of a central rocket part resulted in the excessively small payload estimates.

The New York Times

Reduction of the scale, however, has potential problems since it may result in excessively small units or in the breakup of efficiently run farms.

Encyclopedia Britannica

A wall function approach was developed for calculating the near-wall particle transport in order to avoid the use of excessively small computational cells.

Chemical Engineering Science

The DfT has admitted that it miscalculated the riskiness of FirstGroup's winning bid – which offered to pay the government £13.3bn over 15 years – and as a consequence had asked for an excessively small financial guarantee from the company.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

36 human-written examples

Examples of inappropriate shoes include those that are excessively worn or are too small for the person's feet (too narrow, too short, toe box too low), resulting in rubbing, erythema, blister, or callus.

Diabetes Care

As such, it falls prey to the ridiculous rhetoric that excessively valorizes "small businesses" and equates small businesses with pass-throughs.

Harvard Business Review

Some children may have trouble sleeping, some may be fearful about leaving their parents, others may worry excessively about small things or become preoccupied with the idea that bad things will happen to them.

The New York Times

But some small-business advocates are concerned that an excessively low global minimum would have the opposite effect.

Huffington Post

The maximum μ a value further increases to 0.0184 mm−1 in Fig. 6 d) as p decreases to 1/4 although the reconstructed target is localized excessively and smaller in size than the true target.

Biomedical Optics Express

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "excessively small", ensure the context clearly indicates why the small size is problematic or undesirable. For example, "The font size was excessively small, making the text difficult to read."

Common error

Avoid using "excessively small" when "small" alone suffices. The addition of "excessively" should emphasize a problematic degree of smallness, not just a general observation of size.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "excessively small" functions as a modifier, specifically an adverb-adjective combination, used to describe the degree of smallness. It emphasizes that something is not just small, but unusually or problematically so. As Ludwig AI suggests, the phrase is perfectly usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

48%

News & Media

23%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Wiki

8%

Formal & Business

8%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "excessively small" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe something smaller than what is desirable or acceptable. As indicated by Ludwig AI, it's a correct and usable phrase across many contexts. Its use is prevalent in scientific, news media, and encyclopedic sources to underline a problematic diminutive size. When writing, remember that "excessively" should only be added to highlight a distinct issue caused by the object’s size, avoiding redundancy. Alternatives such as "unduly small" or "inordinately small" can provide variety in expression. Understanding these nuances can enhance clarity and precision in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

exceedingly small

Replaces "excessively" with "exceedingly", maintaining the same meaning but with a slight variation in word choice.

unduly small

Substitutes "excessively" with "unduly", implying that the smallness is unwarranted or inappropriate.

inordinately small

Replaces "excessively" with "inordinately", suggesting the smallness is beyond what is reasonable or normal.

disproportionately small

Indicates that the size is small relative to something else, creating an imbalance.

unreasonably small

Implies that the smallness is not logical or justifiable.

noticeably small

Highlights that the small size is easily observed or significant.

remarkably small

Emphasizes the unexpected or surprising nature of the small size.

exceptionally small

Similar to "exceedingly small" but highlights the rarity of the size.

uncommonly small

Indicates that the small size is not typical or frequently encountered.

unusually small

Suggests the small size deviates from the norm.

FAQs

What does "excessively small" mean?

The phrase "excessively small" describes something that is smaller than what is considered normal or acceptable. It implies that the size is overly diminutive and creates a problem. Similar phrases include "unduly small" or "unreasonably small".

How can I use "excessively small" in a sentence?

You can use "excessively small" to describe something that is inconveniently or inappropriately small. For example: "The text on the screen was "excessively small", making it difficult to read."

What is a more formal way to say "excessively small"?

More formal alternatives to "excessively small" include phrases like "inordinately small" or "disproportionately small", which may be more suitable for academic or professional writing.

Is it always negative to describe something as "excessively small"?

Yes, the phrase "excessively small" generally carries a negative connotation. It implies that the small size is undesirable and causes issues or inconveniences. In other words, that small dimension is somehow affecting an element of a system or a process.