Surfeit
noun /ˈsɜː.fɪt/ — An excess so great it produces discomfort or disgust
Definition
An excessive amount of something — specifically so much that it becomes unpleasant, that the thing you desired has now become something you cannot bear any more of.
Beyond the definition
The point where enough becomes too much. A surfeit captures something important: that desire has an endpoint, that even the most wanted things can be given in quantities that transform pleasure into something else entirely.
Origin & history
From Old French 'surfait' — past participle of 'surfaire' (to overdo) — 'sur-' (over) + 'faire' (to do). To overdo. Related to 'super' and 'fact'. The thing made past the point where making was good.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
A surfeit of affection from strangers produces a different loneliness than none at all.
He had read so many reviews of the film that by the time he saw it, a surfeit of opinion had replaced his own response.
The holiday produced a surfeit of everything good — food, company, sun — until by the last day she was ready to want again.
Synonyms
excess, overabundance, glut, saturation, superfluity
Antonyms
scarcity, dearth, shortage
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Illustrative example
Swedish Buffet Table Selection
A large table is filled with a vast, overflowing selection of varied dishes, with multiple plates and bowls arranged in a dense, crowded layout.
The overwhelming variety and volume of food presented on the table exemplify a surfeit. It captures the point where the initial desire for variety gives way to an excess so significant that the experience shifts from delightful choice to an uncomfortable abundance.
Image credit: by bigmick · CC BY-SA 2.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; displayed with a fitted crop.