out of too much; so... that

あまり means that an excess of some emotion or state caused a result. Attach it to a verb's dictionary form, a noun with の, or a na-adjective with な. The emotion is usually strong (worry, joy, surprise) and leads to an extreme outcome.

Examples

• 心配しんぱいのあまり、夜よるも眠ねむれなかった。

  Shinpai no amari, yoru mo nemurenakatta.

  Out of too much worry, I couldn't sleep at night.

• 驚おどろきのあまり、声こえも出でなかった。

  Odoroki no amari, koe mo denakatta.

  I was so surprised I couldn't even speak.

Vocabulary in these examples

• 心配 worry, concern
• あまり not very (with negative)
• 夜 night
• 声 voice
• 出る to leave; to exit

Related patterns · Cause and reason

• 〜だけに precisely because; being... all the more
• 〜ばかりに just because (with a bad result)
• 〜ものだから because; the reason is that (excuse)
• 〜ことだから since it's... (knowing how they are)