different between preposterous vs excessive

English

Alternative forms

• præposterous (archaic)

Etymology

From Latin praeposterus (“with the hinder part before, reversed, inverted, perverted”), from prae (“before”) + posterus (“coming after”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /p???p?st???s/, /p???p?st??s/, /p??-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /p???p?st???s/, /p???p?st??s/

Adjective

preposterous (comparative more preposterous, superlative most preposterous)

1. Absurd, or contrary to common sense.
   • 2016 January 30, "America deserves more from presidential hopefuls," The National (retrieved 31 January 2016):

     Democrats, too, must be criticised. While they have not made preposterous statements or been threatening or demagogic, they, all too often, have come up short, failing to propose new ideas that can help unwind conflicts raging across the Middle East.

Synonyms

• absurd
• foolish
• irrational
• nonsensical
• See also Thesaurus:absurd

Translations

See also

• topsy-turvy
• upside down

Further reading

• preposterous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• preposterous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Etymology

From Middle French excessif, from Medieval Latin excessivus

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k?s?s?v/
• Rhymes: -?s?v

Adjective

excessive (comparative more excessive, superlative most excessive)

1. Exceeding the usual bounds of something; extravagant; immoderate.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:excessive

Antonyms

• insufficient
• deficient

Derived terms

• excessive number

Related terms

• exceed
• excess

Translations

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?k.s?.siv/

Adjective

excessive

1. feminine singular of excessif

Interlingua

Adjective

excessive (comparative plus excessive, superlative le plus excessive)

1. excessive

Related terms

• excesso

Latin

Adjective

excess?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of excess?vus