surfeit

[ sur-fit ]

noun

1. excess; an excessive amount:

   a surfeit of speechmaking.

   Synonyms: superabundance, superfluity

   Antonyms: lack

2. excess or overindulgence in eating or drinking.
3. an uncomfortably full or crapulous feeling due to excessive eating or drinking.
4. general disgust caused by excess or satiety.

verb (used with object)

1. to bring to a state of surfeit by excess of food or drink.

   Synonyms: gorge, stuff

2. to supply with anything to excess or satiety; satiate.

   Synonyms: fill, gorge, stuff

verb (used without object)

1. to eat or drink to excess.
2. to suffer from the effects of overindulgence in eating or drinking.
3. to indulge to excess in anything.

surfeit

/ ˈsɜːfɪt /

noun

1. usually foll by of an excessive or immoderate amount
2. overindulgence, esp in eating or drinking
3. disgust, nausea, etc, caused by such overindulgence

verb

1. tr to supply or feed excessively; satiate
2. archaic.
   intr to eat, drink, or be supplied to excess
3. obsolete.
   intr to feel uncomfortable as a consequence of overindulgence

Derived Forms

• ˈsurfeiter, noun

Other Words From

• un·surfeit·ed adjective
• un·surfeit·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of surfeit¹

1250–1300; (noun) Middle English sorfete, surfait < Middle French surfait, surfet (noun use of past participle of surfaire to overdo), equivalent to sur- sur- ¹ + fait < Latin factus, past participle of facere to do ( fact ); (v.) sorfeten, derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of surfeit¹

C13: from French surfait, from surfaire to overdo, from sur- ¹+ faire, from Latin facere to do

Example Sentences

Australian winemakers faced desperate hardship and were stuck with a surfeit of big-bodied red wines.

From New York Times

There’s a surfeit of beauty, though the visual quality of the archival material is suboptimal until the shift to digital.

From New York Times

Pet owners can have a tougher time finding apartments because of the surfeit of landlords who don’t allow dogs, cats or other animals in their buildings.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s lots of impressive art — plus, it turns out, a surfeit of inadequate art history.

From Los Angeles Times

Forget the surfeit of murder podcasts that “Based on a True Story” satirizes, however fitfully.

From New York Times