Excess, n.
Etymology: [OE. exces, excess, ecstasy, L. excessus a going out, loss of self-possession, fr. excedere, excessum, to go out, go beyond: cf. F. excès. See Exceed.]
1. The state of surpassing or going beyond limits; the being of a measure beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; that which exceeds what is usual or prover; immoderateness; superfluity; superabundance; extravagance; as, an excess of provisions or of light. To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on the violet, . . . Is wasteful and ridiculous excess. Shak. That kills me with excess of grief, this with excess of joy. Walsh.
2. An undue indulgence of the appetite; transgression of proper moderation in natural gratifications; intemperance; dissipation. Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. Eph. v. 18. Thy desire . . . leads to no excess That reaches blame. Milton.
3. The degree or amount by which one thing or number exceeds another; remainder; as, the difference between two numbers is the excess of one over the other. Spherical excess (Geom.), the amount by which the sum of the three angles of a spherical triangle exceeds two right angles. The spherical excess is proportional to the area of the triangle.
Shades of meaning
Excess is more than enough of anything, and, since this in very many cases indicates a lack either of judgment or of self-control, the word is used frequently in an unfavorable sense. Careless expenditure in excess of income is extravagance; we may have also extravagance of language, professions, etc. As extravagance is excess in outlay, exorbitance is excess in demands, and especially in pecuniary demands upon others. Overplus and superabundance denote in the main a satisfactory, and superfluity an undesirable, excess; lavishness and profusion, a generous, bountiful, or amiable excess; as, a profusion of fair hair; lavishness of hospitality. Surplus is neutral, having none of the unfavorable meaning that often attaches to excess; a surplus is that which remains over after all demands are met. Redundance or redundancy refers chiefly to literary style, denoting an excess of words or matter. Excess in the moral sense is expressed by dissipation, prodigality, intemperance, etc.