far too much

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "far too much" is correct and usable in written English.
It is a way to emphasize how excessive or extreme something is. For example, "I have far too much work to do in such a short amount of time."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

The Guardian - Opinion

The New York Times

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

57 human-written examples

That's far too much.

The New York Times

Probably far too much.

The Guardian - Opinion

Apparently, far too much depends upon it.

The Guardian - Opinion

It uses far too much land.

The Economist

It is swallowing far too much.

Independent

There is far too much at stake.

Independent

With hindsight, it paid far too much.

The Economist

We know far too much, in fact.

The New York Times

It sounds far too much.

The Guardian

That is far too much.

The Guardian - Opinion

Of course, I'd taken far too much.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "far too much" to emphasize a negative excess. It's stronger than simply saying "too much".

Common error

While "far too much" is common, consider more formal alternatives like "excessive" or "inordinate" in academic or professional contexts to maintain a sophisticated tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "far too much" functions as an adverbial modifier, intensifying the degree to which something exceeds a limit. It emphasizes that something is not just 'too much', but significantly so. This is consistent with examples in Ludwig, which show it used to describe excessive quantities, costs, or effort.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

3%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "far too much" is a versatile and common way to express that something exceeds an acceptable or reasonable limit. As confirmed by Ludwig, its grammatical function is that of an adverbial modifier used for emphasis. While generally acceptable, it is best to consider the context: more formal writing may benefit from synonyms like "excessive" or "inordinate". Ludwig's examples show its use across diverse media, but the phrase is most common in news and media contexts. When you want to convey that something isn't just "too much", but significantly exceeds what is needed or desirable, "far too much" is an appropriate choice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

way too much

An informal way to express that something is considerably excessive.

more than enough

Indicates that there is a surplus of something.

excessive amount

Focuses on the quantity being more than required.

over the top

Emphasizes the degree to which something exceeds expectations or norms.

inordinate quantity

Highlights the unusual or disproportionate size of something.

overly abundant

Emphasizes the plentiful nature of something that exceeds needs.

too great a degree

Highlights that something surpasses a reasonable limit.

excessively

A single word expressing that something is done to an extreme degree.

beyond measure

Emphasizes the immeasurable or boundless nature of something.

extremely

A simpler way to indicate a high degree of something.

FAQs

How can I use "far too much" in a sentence?

You can use "far too much" to describe something that exceeds a reasonable or acceptable limit. For example, "There is "far too much" noise in this area", or "I spent "far too much" money on that item".

What are some alternatives to "far too much"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "excessive amount", "way too much", or "more than enough".

Is "far too much" formal or informal?

"Far too much" is generally considered neutral to slightly informal. In highly formal writing, consider using synonyms like "excessive" or "inordinate".

What is the difference between "too much" and "far too much"?

The phrase "far too much" is simply a more emphatic way of saying "too much". It emphasizes the excessiveness to a greater degree.