Synonyms

too much of a good thing

Idioms

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?”

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.

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

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

As the old adage goes, too much of a good thing can be bad, which applies to fiber intake too.

From Salon • Jan. 17, 2026

Might too much of a good thing also lead to undesirable consequences in the economy as well?

From MarketWatch • Oct. 28, 2025

"Sometimes there is too much of a good thing," he tells BBC Newsbeat.

From BBC • Sep. 10, 2024

Yet there can be too much of a good thing, and that’s what has happened with ize.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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