How to Say "excessive" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “excessive” is “demasiado” — use 'demasiado' when referring to an excessive quantity of something that makes it undesirable or unusable..
demasiado
deh-mah-see-AH-dah/demaˈsjaða/
Examples
Hay demasiada sal en esta sopa.
There is too much salt in this soup.
Hay demasiada azúcar en este café. No lo puedo beber.
There is too much sugar in this coffee. I can't drink it.
Siento demasiada presión en el trabajo últimamente.
I feel too much pressure at work lately.
La película tenía demasiada violencia para mi gusto.
The movie had too much violence for my taste.
Gender Agreement
Since 'demasiada' is describing a feminine, single item (like 'agua' or 'tarea'), it must end in '-a' to match. If the item were masculine (like 'trabajo'), you would use 'demasiado'.
Position in the Sentence
This word almost always comes directly before the noun it is describing, just like in English: 'too much noise' (demasiado ruido).
Confusing Adjective and Adverb
Mistake: “Hablo demasiada rápido. (Incorrect agreement)”
Correction: Hablo demasiado rápido. (The word 'demasiado' is used here as an adverb describing the action 'hablar', so it does not change its ending.)
excesivo
/ek-seh-SEE-boh//ekseˈsiβo/
Examples
El volumen de la música era excesivo.
The volume of the music was excessive.
El ruido de la fiesta era excesivo y no pude dormir.
The noise from the party was excessive and I couldn't sleep.
Beber una cantidad excesiva de café puede darte nervios.
Drinking an excessive amount of coffee can make you nervous.
Los expertos advierten sobre el gasto excesivo del gobierno.
Experts warn about the government's excessive spending.
Matching with Objects
This word must match the gender of the thing you are describing. Use 'excesivo' for masculine words like 'ruido' and 'excesiva' for feminine words like 'velocidad'.
Placement in a Sentence
You almost always place this word after the noun it describes, like 'un calor excesivo' (an excessive heat).
Mixing up Adverbs and Adjectives
Mistake: “El café es excesivo caliente.”
Correction: El café está excesivamente caliente. Use 'excesivo' to describe things (nouns) and 'excesivamente' to describe actions or other descriptions (verbs or adjectives).
exagerado
/eh-sah-heh-rah-doh//eksaheˈɾaðo/
Examples
El precio que piden por esa casa es exagerado.
The price they are asking for that house is exaggerated.
Ese precio por un café es exagerado.
That price for a coffee is excessive.
Ella me contó una historia muy exagerada.
She told me a very exaggerated story.
Llevas un maquillaje un poco exagerado para ir a clase.
Your makeup is a bit over the top for going to class.
Matching the Word
Remember to change the ending to match what you are describing: 'exagerado' (masculine), 'exagerada' (feminine), 'exagerados' (plural masculine), and 'exageradas' (plural feminine).
Ser vs. Estar
Use 'ser' if something is always excessive (that shop is expensive) and 'estar' if it just seems excessive in the moment.
Using 'too much' instead
Mistake: “Ese precio es demasiado.”
Correction: Ese precio es exagerado. While 'demasiado' means 'too much,' 'exagerado' is the natural way to describe a price that feels like a rip-off.
Demasiado vs. Excesivo
Related Translations
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