Meanings
comparative more exceptious · superlative most exceptious
- obsoleteApt to take exception, or to object; captious, complaining.
Tom. So, did you mark the dulness of her parting now? Alon. What dulness? Thou art so exceptious still.
1622 (first performance), Thomas Middleton, William Rowley, The Changeling: […], London: […] [Thomas Newcombe] for Humphrey Moseley, […], published 1653, →OCLC, Act II, signature D, verso2 more examples
And lastly, how shall many seeming Clashings, and dark Passages in Sacred History and Chronology be placed in such a Light, as may throughly satisfy, or at least effectually silence the Doubtful and Exceptious?
1715, Robert South, “Sermon I. Matth. xiii. 52.”, in Twelve Sermons Preached at Several Times, and upon Several Occasions, volume IV, London: […] G. James, for Jonah Bowyer […], →OCLC, page 17The company, who were not at all exceptious, seemed extremely well pleased with every particular of the entertainment […].
1751, [Tobias] Smollett, chapter 9, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume I, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC, page 68
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
- Proto-Italic*eks
- Latinex
- Latinex-
- Proto-Indo-European*kap-
- Proto-Indo-European*kapyéti
- Proto-Italic*kapjō
- Latincapiō
- Latinexcipiō
- Latinexceptiō
- Old Frenchexcepcion
- Anglo-Normanexcepcioun
- Middle Englishexception
- Englishexception
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
- Englishexceptious
From excepti(on) + -ous, after captious.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
exceptious. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exceptious
“exceptious.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exceptious. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “exceptious,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/exceptious.
Source: exceptious on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.