highly excessive

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "highly excessive" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that is far beyond what is considered normal or reasonable in terms of quantity or degree. Example: "The costs of the project were highly excessive, leading to budget overruns and financial strain."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

It argued that the maximum potential payout for Clark was "highly excessive" as it was far above the acceptable limit of 200% of his salary.

The Guardian - Business

Pirc, the corporate governance adviser, said Clarke's pay was "highly excessive" and recommended shareholders vote against the company's remuneration report and policy.

The Guardian - Business

Pirc, known for its highly critical views, claimed bonus awards looked "highly excessive on a potential basis" and the long-term incentive plan (LTIP) lacked an upper limit.

Independent

The shareholder advisory group Pirc has advised investors to oppose SABmiller's remuneration policy, arguing that chief executive Alan Clark's maximum potential payout was "highly excessive" as it was far above the acceptable limit of 200% of his salary.

The Guardian - Business

They also said forecasts for next quarter suggested corporate sentiment might not worsen, but it would be "quite some time" before any big upturn came in the real economy, because corporate earnings kept deteriorating and production capacity and employment levels were considered "highly excessive".

The New York Times

"This is an industry that is controlled by the middleman who acts as broker and market maker and who get away with often highly excessive margins because they keep both parties (buyer and seller) separated at the end of a phone and in the dark".

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Although under normal circumstances C5a-mediated C5aR activation is highly favorable, excessive levels of C5a can be deleterious to the host and have been related to numerous inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and reperfusion injury).

Amino Acids

According to John F. Jonas of Patton Boggs LLP, "Personally leasing four skyboxes is highly unusual and excessive.

The Washington Post

On Tuesday it used words like "excessive," "highly provocative" and "a new and dangerous escalation" to describe Israel's missile strike against the Nablus offices of Hamas.

The New York Times

At a minimum, management will be unable to leverage assets too highly or use excessive short-term liabilities to finance long-term assets.

Harvard Business Review

Agricultural environments impose high demands on robotic grippers since the objects to be grasped (e.g., fruit) suffer from inherent uncertainties in size, shape, weight, and texture, are typically highly sensitive to excessive force, and tend to be partly or fully occluded.

Biosystems Engineering

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "highly excessive", ensure that the context clearly establishes the standard or limit being exceeded. This provides a stronger basis for your claim of excessiveness.

Common error

While "highly excessive" is grammatically sound, avoid overusing it in formal writing. Opt for more nuanced vocabulary that precisely conveys the degree and nature of the excess, such as "grossly disproportionate" or "unduly extravagant".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "highly excessive" functions as an adjectival modifier, intensifying the degree to which something exceeds a normal or acceptable limit. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

35%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "highly excessive" is a grammatically correct phrase used to emphasize that something goes far beyond what is considered acceptable or reasonable. Ludwig confirms its validity and indicates that it is more common in news, science, and business contexts. While effective for conveying strong disapproval, writers should be mindful of potentially more precise alternatives depending on the specific nature of the excess. Avoid overuse in extremely formal writing, where nuance is key.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extremely unreasonable

Replaces "excessive" with "unreasonable" and "highly" with "extremely", focusing on a lack of justification.

grossly disproportionate

Uses "grossly disproportionate" to emphasize a significant imbalance or lack of proportion.

unduly extravagant

Substitutes "excessive" with "extravagant" and "highly" with "unduly", highlighting lavishness beyond necessity.

outrageously immoderate

Replaces "excessive" with "immoderate" and "highly" with "outrageously", emphasizing a lack of restraint.

unjustifiably high

Focuses on the lack of justification for something being at a high level.

far too much

A more informal way to express that something exceeds reasonable limits.

exorbitantly priced

Specifically refers to prices that are excessively high.

gratuitously unwarranted

Emphasizes the lack of any valid reason or justification.

over the top

An idiomatic expression indicating something is beyond appropriate or necessary.

ridiculously inflated

Highlights the exaggeration or artificial increase of something.

FAQs

What does "highly excessive" mean?

The phrase "highly excessive" means something is far beyond what is considered normal, acceptable, or reasonable. It emphasizes a significant degree of excess.

How can I use "highly excessive" in a sentence?

You can use "highly excessive" to describe costs, amounts, or behaviors. For instance: "The company's marketing budget was "highly excessive", leading to financial instability."

What are some alternatives to "highly excessive"?

Alternatives include "extremely unreasonable", "grossly disproportionate", or "unduly extravagant", depending on the specific context.

Is it redundant to say "highly excessive"?

While "excessive" already implies a significant degree, using "highly" intensifies the degree of excess. It is not strictly redundant, but consider whether the emphasis is necessary for your writing.