Too … !

Too, spelled with two o’s, is a very common word in English, but one that is sometimes used incorrectly.

Using too as an adverb modifying a verb is pretty straightforward and easy. We can use it instead of also or as well.

Are you going to the movies? I’m going too.

Do you like scary movies? I like them as well.

Did you take TOEFL last week? I also took it.

Me too is frequently used to express agreement.

Speaker A: I thought that test was really hard.

Speaker B: Me too!

Using too as an adverb modifying an adjective or adverb is a bit trickier.

First of all, don’t confuse too with so. So can be used to mean really, very, or extremely.

That movie was so good! It was really amazing.

Too, on the other hand, has a negative meaning. It means to an excess.

That movie was too scary. I couldn’t even watch some of it.

That soup is too hot. I can’t drink it.

He’s driving too fast. He’s going to get stopped by the police.

She’s talking too fast. It’s hard to understand her.

We often use the phrases too much and too many. Remember that as adjectives (determiners), much is used with singular non-count nouns and many with plural nouns.

I ate too much dinner. It’s unhealthy to eat too much sugar. Those shoes cost too much money.

I had too many cookies. Fast food has too many calories. She has too many shoes.

We can also use too much as an adverb.

He slept too much. She talks too much. We have to study too much.

We can also use too much in a general, unspecific way.

Life was just too much for her. She needed a break.

Things have just been too much lately. I’m really depressed.

Way too is an informal way to intensify too.

I ate way too many chips. Our teacher gives us way too much homework. I was working way too hard.

Then, there’s too too, sometimes spelled too-too. It means going beyond the edge (over the edge, overboard) in terms of convention, acceptability, good taste, or common sense. We can use it as an adjective by itself or as an adverb modifying an adjective.

Her house is just too too. (Meaning that it might be over-decorated, too showy, too pretentious, too ornate, or over-the-top)

Her children are simply too too precious. (Depending on the tone of voice, this could mean that the speaker really thinks the children are precious (adorable, lovely, wonderful) or it could imply that although the parents think they are precious, the speaker doesn’t.)

In general, too as an adjective is a relatively weak word to use in more formal business or academic writing, so be careful not to overuse it. Good synonyms that specifically mean being to a higher degree than is desirable, permissible, or possible include:

excessively

overly

unduly

inordinately

disproportionately