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Synonyms

embarrassment of riches

Idioms  

  1. An overabundance of something, too much of a good thing, as in All four of them have their own cars but there's no room in the driveway—an embarrassment of riches. This term originated in 1738 as John Ozell's translation of a French play, L'Embarras des richesses (1726).

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Though moviegoing audiences were spoiled with this embarrassment of riches, it’s Fanning’s work that stood out among the pair.

From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026

It’s no wonder the animated sequel proved to be an embarrassment of riches at the box office.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2024

Unlike elsewhere, this is an area where Southgate has a genuine embarrassment of riches.

From BBC • May 21, 2024

This week’s Slate News Quiz offers an embarrassment of riches.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2024

From this embarrassment of riches, Francesco manages to pick a painter who’s sick of painting.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.