Meaning & use
inordinately
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Meaning
adverbformal
more than is usual, reasonable, or expected; extremely
Grammar: Usually comes before an adjective (inordinately proud) or after a verb (fret inordinately). It does not compare.
Patterns
- inordinately + adjective
- verb + inordinately
The meeting ran inordinately long, so we missed lunch.
She was inordinately pleased with such a small compliment.
He worries inordinately about things he cannot control.
Common combinations
- inordinately long
- The queue was inordinately long for a Tuesday morning.
- inordinately proud
- He seemed inordinately proud of his new phone.
- inordinately fond of
- She is inordinately fond of chocolate.
- inordinately high
- The price they asked was inordinately high.
Synonyms and how they differ
- excessively
- Neutral and common; 'inordinately' is more formal and often suggests mild criticism.
- unduly
- Also formal, but often used when something is more than is appropriate or fair; 'inordinately' stresses the unusual amount.
- disproportionately
- Focuses on the lack of balance between two things; 'inordinately' only says the amount is too great.
Opposites
Word family
- inordinate adjective
- much more than is usual or reasonable
Commonly confused: inordinately or extraordinarily?
inordinately vs extraordinarily
'Extraordinarily' means 'very unusually' and can be positive or neutral; 'inordinately' suggests too much and is often negative.
Practice
The hotel was inordinately ______ for a room with no window.
Choose one answer.
'Inordinately' is an adverb that usually modifies an adjective, so 'expensive' (adjective) is correct. 'Expensively' is an adverb and cannot follow another adverb here; 'expense' and 'expensiveness' are nouns.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inordinately”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.