Vocabulary Showcase: Adjectives Describing Amounts
It’s great knowing lots of different words for everyday objects and actions, but sometimes you need to describe the amount of something. Sometimes you need to say “There is too little light in here”, or “This is just too much housework!”. So, let’s explore some vocabulary for describing the amount of something and whether it’s right for you.
Synonyms for “Too Much”
The phrase “Too much” is used to describe when there is more of something than you need, want, or is healthy. Here are some other words with the same meaning:
excessive (adj.) - (general/negative) “That is an excessive amount of food, it could make you feel sick” (more than you need).
extreme (adj.) - (general/neutral) “I said I wanted it to rain, but this is extreme” (more than you want).
inordinate (adj.) - (formal/neutral) “We need to fire him, he has made an inordinate amount of mistakes” (more than is acceptable).
exorbitant (adj.) - (general/negative) “The price of your breakfast cereal is exorbitant, so you are having cornflakes for a while” (higher price than is reasonable).
Synonyms for “Too Little”
“Too little” is used to describe when there is not enough of something that you want or need. Here are some other words with the same meaning:
meagre (adj.) - (general/negative) “That’s a meagre amount of food for a growing puppy” (not enough to be healthy).
insufficient (adj.) - (formal/neutral) “We have an insufficient amount of products for the big sale. We need to buy more” (not enough for the job).
limited (adj.) - (formal/neutral) “Susan would love to join us but she has limited time” (not enough).
deficient (adj.) - (formal/negative) “Your diet is deficient in calcium so you need to add some supplements to your meals” (less than it should be to function properly).
Extra Note: The UK spelling is ‘meagre’ and the US spelling is “meager”.
Synonyms for “Just Right”
“Just right” is used to describe when you have the correct amount of something for what you want or need. Here are some synonyms:
perfect (adj.) - (general/positive) “That’s the perfect amount of mushrooms on my pizza, thank you” (exactly right).
ideal (adj.) - (general/positive) “The play was the ideal length so we could still buy dinner afterward” (exactly right).
appropriate (adj.) - (formal/neutral) “That’s the appropriate amount of food for a tank with 6 goldfish” (the correct amount).
suitable (adj.) - (formal/neutral) “30 minutes of exercise is appropriate for a dog of this age” (fits the situation well).
Summing Up
Now you can tell other people how you feel about your tiny meal, the heater being on for too long, or when you really love the length of time your friend walked your dogs for you while you were on holiday. It can seem like a small thing, but these are important ways to tell the people around us when things are suitable or not. Was the amount of vocabulary here excessive, meagre, or ideal?
What do the Vocabulary Tags Mean?
(formal) - These words are used in more serious situations, like in essays, important reports, and usually in writing.
(informal) - These words are used more when speaking, between friends and family, and in relaxed situations.
(general) - These words are used in all different situations.
