日本語道場 — Nihongo Dojo

～あまり

~amari (ni)

to the extent that, excessively

When to use it

Use ～あまり(に) in written or formal spoken Japanese to show that an excess of some emotion, effort, or condition caused a (usually undesirable) result. It is common in reports, apologies, and post-mortem explanations where you want to name the cause dispassionately. Prefer 〜すぎて in casual speech; あまり belongs to the stiffer register of email, minutes, and press releases.

Formation

Noun + の + あまり(に): 緊張のあまり、感激のあまり
Verb (plain non-past) + あまり(に) — the ongoing excess: 追求するあまり、気にするあまり
Verb (plain past) + あまり(に) — less common, for a completed excess: 考えすぎたあまり
i-adjective → stem + さ + の + あまり: 忙しさのあまり、悔しさのあまり
na-adjective → stem + さ + の + あまり (or the noun form directly): 慎重さのあまり／心配のあまり
The に is optional and usually dropped in writing; the result clause typically reports a negative or unintended outcome.

Examples

I was so nervous that I got the client's company name wrong.
In pursuing efficiency to excess, we sacrificed quality.
My apologies for the late reply—things were simply too hectic.
Out of excessive caution, approvals are taking two weeks.
So fixated on the numbers, we overlooked what the field was saying.