too much of a good thing

Idioms  

1. Too large an amount of a beneficial or useful thing or activity can be harmful or excessive. For example, The indoor decorations are fine but the outdoor Santa, sled, reindeer, gnomes—it's just too much of a good thing. Expressed in slightly different form even earlier, Shakespeare used this precise wording in praise of moderation in As You Like It (4:1): “Can one desire too much of a good thing?”

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Example Sentences

But just like the blip in time when “No Strings Attached” and “Friends with Benefits” attempted to revamp the romantic comedy for a new generation, and were bogged down by inevitable comparisons in the process, cinema is capable of giving us too much of a good thing.

From Salon

The programming experiment aimed at expanding and blending the audiences of ABC’s veteran dating series and Hulu’s budding answer to the “Real Housewives” franchise now becomes an example of too much of a good thing — in this case, overextending a breakout hit early in its run — and how it can backfire.

From Los Angeles Times

‘Too much of a good thing can be wonderful,” Mae West said.

From The Wall Street Journal

To be sure, investors might be worrying about too much of a good thing.

From Barron's

Higher valuations are good things for investors, but too much of a good thing can become a risk.

From Barron's

Related Words

• exuberance
• glut
• overkill
• surplus
• waste