Too
Pronunciation
Origin
Middle English to ("also, in addition to"), from Old English tÅ ("furthermore, also, besides"), adverbial use of preposition tÅ ("to, into"). The sense of "in addition, also" deriving from the original meaning of "apart, separately" (compare Old English prefix tÅ- ("apart")). More at to.
Full definition of too
Adverb
too
- (focus) Likewise.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, The Mirror and the Lamp Chapter 16, The preposterous altruism too!...Resist not evil. It is an insane immolation of self—as bad intrinsically as fakirs stabbing themselves or anchorites warping their spines in caves scarcely large enough for a fair-sized dog.
- 2013-07-26, Leo Hickman, How algorithms rule the world, The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives. And, as their ubiquity spreads, so too does the debate around whether we should allow ourselves to become so reliant on them – and who, if anyone, is policing their use.
- (conjunctive) Also; in addition.
- 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher Chapter 1, ...the stuffed fox that always grinned so fiercely. Perhaps the reason why he seemed in such a ghastly rage was that he did not come by his death fairly. Otherwise his pelt would not have been so perfect. And why else was he put away up there out of sight?—and so magnificent a brush as he had too.
- 2013-07-19, Timothy Garton Ash, Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli, Hidden behind thickets of acronyms and gorse bushes of detail, a new great game is under way across the globe. Some call it geoeconomics, but it's geopolitics too. The current power play consists of an extraordinary range of countries simultaneously sitting down to negotiate big free trade and investment agreements.
- (degree) To an excessive degree; over; more than enough.
- 2013-08-03, Yesterday’s fuel, The dawn of the oil age was fairly recent. Although the stuff was used to waterproof boats in the Middle East 6,000 years ago, extracting it in earnest began only in 1859 after an oil strike in Pennsylvania....It was used to make kerosene, the main fuel for artificial lighting after overfishing led to a shortage of whale blubber. Other liquids produced in the refining process, too unstable or smoky for lamplight, were burned or dumped.
- (degree, colloquial) To a high degree, very.she doesn't talk too much; I'm not too sure about this
- (affirmation, colloquial) Used to contradict a negative assertion.You're not old enough yet. I am, too!
Usage notes
When used in their senses as degree adverbs, very and too never modify verbs; very much and too much do instead.
It is unusual but not unheard of for too in its senses of "likewise" or "also" to begin a sentence; when it does, though, it is invariably followed by a comma.
Synonyms
- (likewise, also) as well, along with
- (over, more than enough) excessively, extremely, overmuch, unnecessarily