glut

American  

[gluht] / glʌt /

verb (used with object)

glutted, glutting

1. to feed or fill to satiety; sate.

   to glut the appetite.

   Synonyms:

   satiate, stuff, surfeit

2. to feed or fill to excess; cloy.

3. to flood (the market) with a particular item or service so that the supply greatly exceeds the demand.

4. to choke up.

   to glut a channel.

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verb (used without object)

glutted, glutting

1. to eat to satiety or to excess.

   Synonyms:

   cram, gorge

noun

1. a full supply.

2. an excessive supply or amount; surfeit.

   Synonyms:

   superabundance, excess, surplus

3. an act of glutting or the state of being glutted.

glut British  

/ ɡlʌt /

noun

1. an excessive amount, as in the production of a crop, often leading to a fall in price

2. the act of glutting or state of being glutted

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verb

1. to feed or supply beyond capacity

2. to supply (a market) with a commodity in excess of the demand for it

3. to cram full or choke up

   to glut a passage

glut Cultural  

1. An oversupply of goods on the market.

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Other Word Forms

• gluttingly adverb
• overglut verb (used with object)
• unglutted adjective

Etymology

Origin of glut

1275–1325; Middle English gluten, back formation from glutun glutton ¹

Explanation

A glut is too much of something. A glut of gas in the marketplace can lower its price. A glut of heavy metal T-shirts in your dresser, however, has nothing to do with the economy but might be a signal that it's time to clean your room. Glut comes from the Old French gloter, meaning "to swallow too much." The glottis is the part of your body where your vocal folds reside and where you swallow. If you go to the movies alone and get the family tub of popcorn, you are glutting yourself on the salty snack, but do try not to get any popcorn stuck in your glottis. Glut is used more commonly in reference to the economics of the marketplace, where an oversupply of one thing lowers prices.

Example Sentences

A wave of vehicles coming off leases and early adopters who are upgrading to new cars have led to a glut of used EVs that have pushed down prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

He also has posted a glut of social media sizzles of book-inspired photo shoots.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

That led to a fundraising campaign raising money for charity - but with a shorter shelf life, the Orkney banana glut will require a swifter solution.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Before the war, some energy experts worried about a oil supply glut this year.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

The man was short, his body a glut of muscles, his hair thinning and sun-bleached.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• oversupply
• saturation
• surplus