a. (sb.) and adv. Forms: 4 excessife, 5 excessif, excessyfe, 5–6 excessyve, 6 (accessive), excesseve, 5– excessive. [a. F. excessif, -ive, as if ad. L. *excēssīv-us, f. excēss- ppl. stem of excēdĕre: see EXCEED.]
A. adj.
† 1. Of persons or their actions: Transgressing the bounds of law, decency or morality; outrageous, lawless, wrongful. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 117. Thinges which are excessife Ayein the lawe, he shal nought do.
1548. Hall, Chron., 97. Certain ordinaunces, made by the Maire and Aldermen of London, against the excessive takyng of Masons … and other laborers, for their daily jorneis.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 163–4. He made a law also the same time against the excessiue takyng of Usurie by the Iewes.
1656. Cowley, Davideis, IV. 623. Those who before did God’s fair Choice withstand Th’ excessive Vulgar now to Death demand.
2. Of qualities, states, actions, magnitudes, etc.
† a. In favorable or neutral sense: Exceeding what is usual; ‘surpassing’; exceedingly great.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 20. Wherfore were … ye so haboundantly garnished so well of excessiue ande chief alle beaute.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 162. They come downe agayn to them selfe from suche excessyue eleuacyon or extasy.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 438. If Panicum be laid below and about the Bottom of a Root, it will cause the Root to grow to an Excessiue Bignesse.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, B v b. Water, can be easily drawn, an excessive and almost incredible height above its Centre.
b. Exceeding what is right, proportionate or desirable; immoderate, inordinate, extravagant.
a. 1420. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 450. A foule waste of clothe and excessyfe.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxviii. (1890), 110. A highe coloure ouer excessyue and dyshonneste.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well, I. i. 65. Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead, excessiue greefe [is] the enemie to the liuing.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. viii. 36. Excessive desire of Revenge, when it becomes habituall, hurteth the organs, and becomes Rage.
1752. Hume, Pol. Disc., x. 203. Excessive severity in the laws is apt to beget great relaxation in their execution.
1844–57. G. Bird, Urin. Deposits (ed. 5), 84. A man eats an excessive meal of meat, more than he can assimilate into healthy blood.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 681. A single night of excessive rain … left the rock of the Acropolis bare.
3. Of persons: Given to excess in anything; intemperate, extravagant. Now only with agent-nouns or predicatively with const. in.
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. (1594), 190. These excessive fellowes never expect hunger, or thirst … but through intemperance prevent them.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, VI. 219. If a man worke but three daies in seuen, hee may get more than hee can spend vnlesse hee will bee exceedingly excessiue.
1663. Cowley, Verses & Ess., Shortness Life, 9. A man who is excessive in his pains and diligence.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., Wks. 1738, II. 118. He is said to be at Table not excessive.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 182, ¶ 2. Who is not excessive in the Discourse of what he extremely likes?
Mod. Avoid the company of excessive drinkers.
† 4. Of expressions: Hyperbolical. Obs.
1555. Eden, Decades, 127. They compare them in bignesse to elephantes…: But this sumwhat by an excessyue kynde of speache.
5. Of climates: Characterized by extremes.
1830. Lyell, Princ. Geol., I. 107. There are … excessive climates as they have been termed, where the temperature of winter and summer is strongly contrasted.
† 6. as sb. Something excessive; an extravagance. Obs. rare.
1644. H. Parker, Jus Pop., 49. Great Monarchies are monstrous excessives in Nature.
† B. adv. = EXCESSIVELY. Obs.; very common in 17–18th c.
1569. Turberv., Epitaphs & Sonn. (1837), 366. Ye are excessiue proude.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 215–6. The Sea at the brinke of this Ile [Saint Helena] is excessiue deepe.
a. 1720. Sheffield (Dk. Buckhm.), Wks., 1753, II. 102. Mr. Lane grew excessive angry.
1768. Goldsm., Good-n. Man, II. i. His manner … was excessive harmless.
1774. Pennant, Tour Scot. in 1772, 399. The night most excessive dark.
1796. Burney, Mem. Metastasio, I. 396. This would be an excessive long chapter.
