あまりにも
- 1To an excessive degree, so that a certain (often negative) result follows.Ex. 1
- 2Modifying an adjective that describes a noun, it marks something as so extreme that it causes a strong reaction.Ex. 2
na-adj. stemA na-adjective without な, i.e. the form listed in a dictionary.
静か・きれい・好き
Add な before a noun (静かな部屋); as a predicate, follow it with だ／です (静かだ).
i-adj. (kute-form)The form with the final い changed to くて, used to link to a following clause.
高くて・おいしくて・よくて（いい）
Following clauseThe second half of the sentence, following the pattern.
i-adj. (dictionary form)The basic form of an i-adjective, as listed in a dictionary (non-past, affirmative).
高い・おいしい・新しい
Narrower than the plain form, which also covers 高くない・高かった・高くなかった.
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Used in both speech and writing to emphasize an extreme or excessive degree. It can introduce a cause that leads to a consequence or emotional reaction, or simply comment on how extreme something is (e.g. あまりにも美しい。). It is stronger than あまりに and can combine with ～すぎる for added emphasis.
Do not confuse あまりにも with あまり + negative, which means 'not very'; あまりにも stresses an extreme degree.
Note that あまりにも is not a neutral 'very'; it implies the degree is excessive or overwhelming.
- 1.あまりにN3「あまりに」has the same meaning as 「あまりにも」, just with a slightly softer tone, and the two are largely interchangeable when modifying a predicate or introducing a result. Note that 「あまりに」also appears in the form 「あまりの＋名詞」, such as 「あまりの暑さに」, which indicates being affected by something excessively intense.
- 2.あまりN3「あまり」attaches after things like 「名詞＋の」, 「形容詞語幹＋さの」, or a verb, and what follows must state a result; its tone leans toward written language. It matches only the "so … that …" use of 「あまりにも」, so 「嬉しさのあまり泣いた」≈「あまりにも嬉しくて泣いた」, and it cannot serve as simple exclamation—do not confuse this 「あまり」with the unrelated 「あまり〜ない", which means "not very."
- 3.すぎるN4「すぎる」attaches to the verb's ます-form minus ます, adjective stems, and so on, expressing going beyond a proper limit, usually with a negative judgment; 「あまりにも」is instead an adverb placed before the predicate and carries a stronger sense of exclamation. The two can even be used together, as in 「あまりにも高すぎる」.
- 4.ほどN3「ほど」follows verbs, adjectives, and other elements to convey degree through a specific or exaggerated example, whereas 「あまりにも」directly says "too much" beforehand as an adverb, so the two cannot be swapped directly. Attached to quantity expressions, 「ほど」additionally means "about/approximately."
- 5.極まる・極まりないN1「極まる・極まりない」attach to the stem of な-adjectives, tend to carry negative judgments, and lean toward written style; 「あまりにも」by contrast is an adverb that modifies adjectives and verbs, is stylistically neutral, and can lead into a result. When using a な-adjective to evaluate something as excessive, the two are often interchangeable.
あまりに has the same meaning but is slightly less emphatic, while あまり with a negative means 'not very', and ～すぎる is a suffix on verbs and adjectives expressing excess that can co-occur with あまりにも. ほど expresses degree by comparison ('to the extent that…'), and 極まる・極まりない is a formal N1 expression meaning 'extremely', attached to な形容詞.
