overabundance

noun

over·​abun·​dance ˌō-vər-ə-ˈbən-dən(t)s 

plural overabundances

: a large surplus : excess

an overabundance of options

Between the women's movement and the first large wave of baby boomers, the career track was suddenly clogged with an overabundance of qualified people.

—Phillip Moffitt

overabundant

ˌō-vər-ə-ˈbən-dənt 

adjective

Overabundant use of livestock and chicken feed laced with antibiotics is a primary force behind the evolution of drug-resistant strains that then find their way into people.

—Wayne Biddle

Overabundant elk ate trees down to their nubs, leaving beavers with no lumber for their dams, which, in turn, changed the flow of rivers.

—Sara Reardon

overabundantly adverb

The meals … were mainly taken at the hotel and were included in the trip package. We were fed overabundantly three times a day.

—R. V. Denenberg

… Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, an overabundantly plotted melodrama set in 15th-century Paris.

—Tom Gliatto

Synonyms of overabundance

• surplus
• excess
• abundance

Examples of overabundance in a Sentence

an overabundance of desserts at a potluck dinner

Recent Examples on the Web

Queuers would rather sit on the floor than skip the lounge for a chair at the gate, a desperation that might have something to do with Instagram envy, inequality, or an overabundance of premium-economy professionals with business-class expectations. —Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

While some see overabundance and others see scarcity, a distinction that appears to bridge the gap is the level of talent under discussion. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

As estrogen decreases during menopause, nerves in the hypothalamus — an almond-size region deep inside the brain whose functions include helping regulate the body’s thermostat — become hyperactive and produce an overabundance of chemical signals called neurokinins. —Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

This phenomenon is attributed to an overabundance of nutrient intake and the presence of invasive species such as crayfish and clams. —Amelia Wu, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overabundance

• superabundance
• abundance