too
Language: English
Part of speech: adv
Pronunciation: ipa: /tuː/
ipa: [tʰu̟ː]
enpr: to͞o
ipa: /tu/
ipa: [tʰu̟]
enpr: to͞o
ipa: /tʉː/
ipa: [tʰʉː]
homophone: two
homophone: to
rhymes: -uː
Etymology: From Middle English to (“also, in addition to”), from Old English tō (“furthermore, also, besides”), adverbial use of preposition tō (“to, into”). The sense of "in addition, also" deriving from the original meaning of "apart, separately" (compare Old English prefix tō- (“apart”)). Doublet of to; see there for more.
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XVI, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: 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.
ref: 2013 July 26, Leo Hickman, “How algorithms rule the world”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 7, page 26:
glosses: Likewise.
examples: text: There has been a cutback in federal subsidies. Rates have been increasing too.
text: He's always willing to help. He, too, is generous with his time.
text: It is important to remember, too, that she is generous with his time. Sometimes, too, she does ask for the odd favor.
text: They burned the old gun that used to stand in the dark corner up in the garret, close to 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.
ref: 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
text: 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.
ref: 2013 July 19, Timothy Garton Ash, “Where Dr Pangloss meets Machiavelli”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 18:
synonyms: as well
additionally
eke
glosses: Also, in addition marks a statement as equally valid as the preceding one.
examples: text: Near-synonyms: extremely, unnecessarily, all too
text: I'm still much too young to drive, and my grandpa is already far too old.
text: This water is too polluted for us to drink (it).
text: […]purſued his vnneighbourly purpoſe in ſuch ſort: that hee being the ſtronger perſwader, and ſhe (belike) too credulous in beleeuing or elſe ouer-feeble in reſiſting, from priuate imparlance, they fell to action; and continued their cloſe fight a long while together, vnſeene and vvithout ſuſpition, no doubt to their equall ioy and contentment.
ref: 1620, Giovanni Bocaccio, translated by John Florio, The Decameron, Containing an Hundred Pleaſant Nouels: Wittily Diſcourſed, Betweene Seuen Honourable Ladies, and Three Noble Gentlemen, Isaac Iaggard, Nouell 8, The Eighth Day:
text: 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.
ref: 2013 August 3, “Yesterday’s fuel”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8847:
synonyms: unduly
over
over-
overly
excessively
qualifier: degree
glosses: To an excessive degree, more than enough indicates that the degree of a quality is more than what is needed or wanted.
examples: text: She doesn't talk too much.  I'm not too sure about this.
synonyms: so
all that
qualifier: degree
glosses: To a high degree, very.
examples: text: You're not old enough yet. ― I am too!
text: You can't jump that fence. ― Can too jump it!
text: We haven't been mean to you. ― Have too, plenty of times
synonyms: so
glosses: Used to contradict a negative assertion with present and simple past forms of be, do, and auxiliary verbs
examples: text: The trooper thanks his informant and rides slowly on, looking about him. […] He comes to a gateway in the brick wall, looks in, and sees a great perplexity of iron lying about in every stage and in a vast variety of shapes— […] "This is a place to make a man's head ache too!" says the trooper, looking about him for a counting-house.
ref: 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:
glosses: Used for emphasis, without reference to any previous statement.
Derived terms: a bridge too far
all too
and your little dog too
be a hundred years too early
can too
eat one's cake and have it too
enough is too much
fly too close to the sun
go too far
have a few too many
have one's cake and eat it too
hit too close to home
in too deep
it's never too late to mend
it's too expensive
it's too late for sorry
life is too short
life's too short
methinks the lady doth protest too much
methinks thou dost protest too much
me-too
me too
me-too-ism
me too-ism
none too soon
not a minute too soon
not a moment too soon
not to put too fine a point on it
not to put too fine a word on it
not wrapped too tight
one too many
only too
protest too much
speak too soon
spread oneself too thin
take too far
the lady doth protest too much
the world is too much with someone
think too much
this too shall pass
this too shall pass away
too bad
too big for one's boots
too big for one's breeches
too big for one's britches
too big to fail
too clever by half
too close for comfort
too close to call
too close to the sun
too cool for school
too far gone
too good for this world
too good to be true
too good to last
too hard basket
too-hard basket
too hot to handle
too hot to hold
too late
too long
didn't read
too many
too many balls in the air
too many chefs spoil the broth
too many chiefs and not enough indians
too many chiefs and not enough Indians
too many cooks spoil the broth
too many cooks spoil the soup
too many cooks spoil the stew
too much bed makes a dull head
too much information
too-muchness
too much of a good thing
too much pudding will choke a dog
too much water drowned the miller
too posh to push
too rich for one's blood
too right
too soon
way too
wear too many hats
you are never too old to learn
you're never too old to learn
Related terms: too too