Excess
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The state of exceeding or going beyond limits, beyond what is normal or usual. Related terms include eccentricity, extravagance and transgression. Georges Bataille, in works such as The Accursed Share, was a leading theorist on excess.
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Noun
- 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.
- 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 proper; 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. - Shakespeare
- That kills me with excess of grief, this with excess of joy. - Walsh
- An undue indulgence of the appetite; transgression of proper moderation in natural gratifications; intemperance; dissipation.
- Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. Ephesians v. 18
- Thy desire ... leads to no excess That reaches blame. - Milton
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Etymology
Old English exces, excess, ecstasy; Latin excessus a going out, loss of self-possession, from excedere, excessum, to go out, go beyond. See exceed.
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Namesakes
- Visions of Excess: Selected Writings, 1927-1939 (1985)- Georges Bataille
- Gamiani, ou Une Nuit d'Excès (1833) - Alfred de Musset
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Contrast
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Excess" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on original research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
