Synonym Chooser

How is the word inordinate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of inordinate are excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, and immoderate. While all these words mean "going beyond a normal limit," inordinate implies an exceeding of the limits dictated by reason or good judgment.

inordinate pride

When is excessive a more appropriate choice than inordinate?

The words excessive and inordinate can be used in similar contexts, but excessive implies an amount or degree too great to be reasonable or acceptable.

excessive punishment

When could exorbitant be used to replace inordinate?

The words exorbitant and inordinate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, exorbitant implies a departure from accepted standards regarding amount or degree.

exorbitant prices

When can extravagant be used instead of inordinate?

The meanings of extravagant and inordinate largely overlap; however, extravagant implies an indifference to restraints imposed by truth, prudence, or good taste.

extravagant claims for the product

Where would extreme be a reasonable alternative to inordinate?

Although the words extreme and inordinate have much in common, extreme may imply an approach to the farthest limit possible or conceivable but commonly means only to a notably high degree.

extreme shyness

When is it sensible to use immoderate instead of inordinate?

The synonyms immoderate and inordinate are sometimes interchangeable, but immoderate implies lack of desirable or necessary restraint.

immoderate spending

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inordinate Though simple for a human to grasp, this concept is nontrivial for a computer to learn and thus would require inordinate amounts of training data and time. Somdeb Majumdar, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Nov. 2024 Link said duplication of ballots is an area that generates an inordinate amount of suspicion from election deniers. Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 16 Sep. 2024 Advertisement One great advantage to this inordinate model is rejection of FOMO mania. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024 The Ravens weren’t winning because coach John Harbaugh was playing his starters an inordinate amount. Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inordinate 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inordinate
Adjective
  • Those not able to cash in, however, see the program as one of two things: a genuine offer hamstrung by excessive red tape, or a half-hollow gesture meant to rack up free PR in the midst of a historic disaster.
    Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2025
  • Progressive reformers viewed this as a modern evil just like unsafe working conditions and the excessive power of trusts.
    Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Even as Arrowhead was becoming an NFL icon and fans were animating the scene with such feats as a 156-game sellout streak, extreme tailgating and reclaiming in 2014 the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar (142.2 decibels) at a sports stadium, the Arrowhead mystique, alas, was a myth.
    Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2025
  • The maneuver takes place as Paramount is under extreme pressure to cut millions of dollars from its operating costs.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • One helicopter, the Guardian 1, used heat sensors to identify the group of three men who had become stranded with injuries on a steep section of the mountain crowded by tall trees.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2025
  • Cherry tomatoes and avocados saw the steepest price increases at 11.9% and 11.5%, respectively, because of unfavorable growing conditions, according to Wells Fargo.
    Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Your voice is insane.
    Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com, al, 4 Apr. 2023
  • But obviously winning the grand jury prize was insane.
    Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 31 Mar. 2023
Adjective
  • Archaeologists found the artwork in the floor of an extravagant mansion in Pompeii known as the House of the Faun in 1831.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
  • Top 3 Can't Miss Known for its extravagant events featuring LGBTQ+ icons, Nemacolin is a resort to experience at least once.
    Jared Ranahan, Travel + Leisure, 22 Jan. 2025

Podcast

Thesaurus Entries Near inordinate

Cite this Entry

“Inordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inordinate. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inordinate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!