surfeit

[sur-fit]

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.

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

Other Word Forms

• unsurfeited adjective
• unsurfeiting adjective
• surfeiter noun

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

In fact, the reviewer found Whale "the liveliest natural new personality to turn up on TV for ages", saying he possessed "a surfeit of punch and charisma".

From BBC

As a theater critic surfeited with plays, radio dramas worked best for me as an unplanned diversion in my car.

From Los Angeles Times

Simpson plainly had a surfeit of charm that disarmed his political adversaries.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Related Words

• glut 
• plethora 
• profusion