What is the Latin word for excess?

The usual Latin words for “excess” are nimius, extrēmus, superō; also redundō, intemperāns, libīdō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“excess” in Latin

nimiusexcessive, too great, too much; beyond measure extrēmusfarthest, outermost, extreme; coming at the end, last, final, ultimate; extreme in degree, intense superōto surmount, rise over, rise above, go over, ascend, overtop, mount; to go over, pass over, surpass, exceed, traverse; t redundōto overflow, abound, redound; to pour or spout forth or out; cause to pour out intemperānsunrestrained, intemperate; licentious libīdōdesire, fancy, inclination, longing, pleasure, caprice, passion, wantonness; lust, sensuality licetto be allowed; to be permitted; although, even if lū̆xurialuxury; extravagance; lust flāgitiumdisgraceful or shameful action, deed, or crime; scandal; shame, disgrace, outrage ēvagorto wander off, out, forth

The English word excess itself goes back to Latin cēdō, through excessus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

excess

circumlocution by the adjectives nimius or extremus (e.g., excess of joy, nimia laetitia): quod nimium est (e.g., vehementius offendit, quam id quod videtur parum; Cic.), or by quod superest, superat or (often of faulty excess) redundat: the deficiency of anything in the one is equal to the excess of it in the other, quantum alteri deest alicujus rei, tantum alteri superest: there was no deficiency of this kind of ornament in Antonius, nor excess of it in Crassus, neque in Antonio deerat hic ornatus orationis, neque in Crasso redundabat: to be filled to excess with anything, redundare aliqua re: excess of ornament makes a style tawdry, exornationes si crebrae collocabuntur, oblitam reddunt orationem (Cic.) [☞ exsuperantia is only a great amount of what is good, redundantia, an excess of what is bad: ☞ not nimietas or excessus] to be in excess, redundare (mostly, but not always, of a faulty excess).

Excess (moral), intemperantia: libidinum intemperantia (want of moderation in the enjoyment of coarse sensuality and desires, opposed to temperantia): libido: libidines: voluptates libidinosae (excess in sensual enjoyment, especially in love): licentia (arbitrary excess in external manners and order): luxuria (extravagance, luxury in our mode of living): flagitium (an immoral act). All possible excesses, effusae in omni intemperantia libidines: to commit or be guilty of excesses, *licentius, effrenatius vivere; se effundere in libidinibus.

To commit excesses, evagari; non temperare sibi; in anything, immodicum, nimium esse in re; modum excedere or modum non tenere in re; effundi in rem or ad rem; se effundere in aliqua re (e.g., in aliqua libidine, Cic.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for excess?: The usual Latin words for “excess” are nimius, extrēmus, superō; also redundō, intemperāns, libīdō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.