α. 1700s l'embaras des richesses, 1800s l'embarras de richesse, 1800s l'embarras de richesses.
β. 1800s embarras des richesses, 1800s– embaras de richesse, 1800s– embaras de richesses, 1800s– embarras de richesse, 1800s– embarras de richesses.
embarras de richessen.
/ɒmbəˌrɑː də rɪˈʃɛs/, U.S. /ˌɑmbəˈrɑ də riˈʃɛs/ Originally: (the state of having) an overwhelming or encumbering excess of wealth, resources, or options. In later use also in neutral or positive sense (sometimes with of): an abundance, plethora, profusion. Cf. embarrassment n. 1d.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > wealth > [noun] > excessive
overrichness1622
embarras de richesse1750
the world > relative properties > quantity > sufficient quantity, amount, or degree > excessive amount or degree > [noun] > excess, redundancy, or superfluity > excessive quantity or amount
overchargea1325
outrakea1400
surcharge1603
superflux1608
overquantitya1626
overflux1633
gluta1652
overdose1700
excresce1707
overseta1715
embarras de richesse1750
sickener1809
embarras de choix1825
richesse1875
basinful1935
1750 Ld. Chesterfield Let. 26 Apr. in Lett. to Son (1774) II. 6 Say..you dread l'embaras des richesses ever since you have seen what an incumbrance they were to poor Harlequin.
1815 A. Opie Let. 16 June in C. L. Brightwell Memorials Life A. Opie (1854) 161 So it was really ‘l'embarras de richesses’, for any one of these three lions would have been enough at once.
1817 Q. Rev. Apr. 270 As to quotation, we are in an absolute ‘embarras de richesses’.
1826 M. Wilmot Let. 11 July (1935) 243 A too large Stock in trade, proving now and then an embarras de richesse.
1855 S. Whiting Heliondé 133 Such a flock uprose at the disturbance, I was quite distracted... I really suffered in no small degree from an embarras de richesses.
1864 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 4 June 621/1 We have lectures on Medical Jurisprudence,..a course of Medical Psychology,..and instruction in Practical Histology..; and to all this embarras des richesses, I must add the clinical lectures in the Royal Infirmary.
1900 Badminton Mag. Dec. 607 Very few ardent sportsmen could have remained indifferent to the veritable embarras de richesse of game we were privileged to witness.
1932 C. Williams Eng. Poetic Mind iii. 77 Othello has wronged him [sc. Iago]..; Othello has played him false with Emilia; so has Cassio; he loves Desdemona also—embarras de richesses.
1973 C. Jencks Mod. Movements in Archit. iii. 125 Underlying all this profusion, this embarras de richesse, were a few inter-related ideas which here will be reduced to a single one.
2001 S. Walton You heard it through Grapevine i. 9 Morrisons..offered its customers an embarras de richesse of five-star wine at the company's famously competitive prices.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1750