surfeit

American  

[sur-fit] / ˈsɜr fɪt /

noun

1. excess; an excessive amount.

   a surfeit of speechmaking.

   Synonyms:

   superfluity, superabundance

   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.

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verb (used with object)

• surfeits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• surfeited,
  past participle,  past
• surfeiting
  present participle

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)

• surfeits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• surfeited,
  past participle,  past
• surfeiting
  present participle

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 British  

/ 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

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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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• surfeiter
  noun
• unsurfeited
  adjective
• unsurfeiting
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• surfeiting
  present
• surfeited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• surfeit
  simple
• surfeits
  simple
• have surfeited
  perfect
• has surfeited
  perfect
• am surfeiting
  progressive
• are surfeiting
  progressive
• is surfeiting
  progressive
• have been surfeiting
  perfect progressive
• has been surfeiting
  perfect progressive

Past

• surfeited
  simple
• had surfeited
  perfect
• was surfeiting
  progressive
• were surfeiting
  progressive
• had been surfeiting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will surfeit
  simple
• will have surfeited
  perfect
• will be surfeiting
  progressive
• will have been surfeiting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of surfeit

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 ( see fact); (v.) sorfeten, derivative of the noun

Explanation

Steve baked a surfeit of jam tarts. Steve ate a surfeit of jam tarts. Steve surfeited himself on jam tarts. Whether surfeit is a noun or a verb (as in "overabundance" or "gorge"), Steve is likely to end up with a bellyache. Overabundance, glut, gorge, and cloy: These are all synonyms for surfeit, and they all convey a sense of too-much-ness, as does the Old French root of the word — surfaire, "to overdo." When it is used in reference to food or eating, surfeit tends to suggest indulging to the point of sickness or disgust. In other contexts, though, the meaning is not necessarily negative: "A surfeit of kindness," for example, would hardly be a bad thing.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

surfeit surfeits surfeited surfeiting

There's not exactly a surfeit of available and convincing candidates and Clarke is a proven operator who has become a serial qualifier for major tournaments.

From BBC ● May 28, 2026

So by the time a public space opened up in 1977, the staff had a surfeit of wooden soapboxes containing jumbles of animal bones but little else.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

As a businesswoman, a single mother and a highly sensitive human, Moore made it through life thanks to a surfeit of loving kindness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026

Any study of wars, poverty and other manmade crises shows us that humanity still suffers from a lack of empathy, not a surfeit.

From Salon ● Dec. 1, 2025

Everywhere it reflected the authoritarian spandrels of his character, from its surfeit of policemen to its strict rules against picking flowers.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

The company built pellet plants across the southern U.S., moving into parts of the pinery where pulp and paper mills had closed and left behind surfeits of sawdust, wood chips and cheap pulpwood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Increasingly in the '80s, Halloween has become an escapist extravaganza for adults, a trickless treat that more closely resembles Mardi Gras than the candy-and-apple surfeits of yesteryear.

From Time Magazine Archive

Meantime he surfeits in prosperity, And thou, in envy of him, gnaw'st thyself: Peace, fool, get hence, and tell thy vexed spirit, Wealth in this age will scarcely look on merit.

From Every Man out of His Humour by Ben Jonson

That is, surfeits are dangerous; but the proverb which follows shows, as usual, that there is no rule without an exception.

From The Proverbs of Scotland by Alexander Hislop

Others might and would consume themselves in fevers of avarice, and surfeits of luxury,—but for him such temporary pleasures were past.

From The Treasure of Heaven A Romance of Riches by Marie Corelli

Theatergoers, surfeited with entertainment options at home, have been less inclined to commit to season subscriptions, placing more pressure on programming to come up with sure-fire hits.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2023

You’d think those of us who are keeping tabs might be surfeited by now, but a true theater lover can never have too much Sondheim.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2023

At this point, I'm so surfeited on natural spectacles, it's faintly disappointing not to see a troupe of all these things executing Busby Berkeley maneuvers for my personal delectation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 14, 2013

Whenever I am on the side of the Administration, I am surfeited with computer printouts that come within seconds to prove how right I am.

From Time Magazine Archive

I am sure it is surfeited with babies and is now coming after adults.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

What the Valentine's cards forget is that the lovesick duke who speaks the words wants to overeat so that "surfeiting/ The appetite may sicken, and so die."

From The Guardian ● Feb. 14, 2013

They were easier to swallow because they lacked liver's surfeiting taste, and a dessertspoonful in water or tomato juice once a day was sufficient for health.

From Time Magazine Archive

Then suddenly, as if fleeing from her own fear, she looked up again, surfeiting her senses with the crowds, the lights, the smoke and scent and crashing music.

From Max by Katherine Cecil Thurston

What man, did not Inconsiderateness deprive him of his senses, would chase baubles and pleasures—evanescent, surfeiting, foolish and disgraceful—and prefer them to peace of conscience, and glorious everlasting happiness? 

From The Sleeping Bard or, Visions of the World, Death, and Hell by George Henry Borrow

This do they that the soil's prolific powers May not be dulled by surfeiting, nor choke The sluggish furrows, but eagerly absorb Their fill of love, and deeply entertain.

From The Georgics by Virgil

Related Words

• glut
• plethora
• profusion