surfeit
/ˈsəːfɪt
/noun [usually in singular]
1An excessive amount of something: a surfeit of food and drink...
- As someone with a surfeit of embarrassing '80s hairstyle photo evidence I am all in favour of today's youth facing similar consequences.
- That's no mean boast, since there's a surfeit of super-featherweight talent around.
- There is nothing in the income tax legislation that precludes people from paying extra taxes as they want to, voluntarily, and I am sure Treasury would not be embarrassed by a surfeit of cheques.
Synonyms
excess, surplus, abundance, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, overdose, glut, avalanche, deluge;
too much, more than enough;
overindulgence, overconsumption, satiety, satiation
informal bellyful
1.1 archaic An illness caused or regarded as being caused by excessive eating or drinking: he died of a surfeit...
- In the current affluent West, where surfeit is a far more common phenomenon than famine, excess flesh and lack of bodily ‘fitness’ is interpreted as a sign of laxity, overindulgence and weak will.
verb (surfeits, surfeiting, surfeited) [with object] (usually be surfeited with)
1Cause (someone) to desire no more of something as a result of having consumed or done it to excess: I am surfeited with shopping...
- There was a time when the Cardinals were so successful that the fans, like Atlanta's today, became surfeited with victory.
Synonyms
satiate, gorge, overfeed, overfill, glut, cram, stuff, overindulge, fill;
sicken, nauseate
1.1 [no object] archaic Consume too much of something: he never surfeited on rich wine
Origin
Middle English: from Old French, based on Latin super- 'above, in excess' + facere 'do'.