surfeit

1 of 2

noun

sur·​feit ˈsər-fət How to pronounce surfeit (audio)
1
: an overabundant supply : excess
2
: an intemperate or immoderate indulgence in something (such as food or drink)
3
: disgust caused by excess

surfeit

2 of 2

verb

surfeited; surfeiting; surfeits

transitive verb

: to feed, supply, or give to surfeit

intransitive verb

archaic : to indulge to satiety in a gratification (such as indulgence of the appetite or senses)
surfeiter noun

Did you know?

There is an abundance—you could almost say a surfeit—of English words that come from the Latin verb facere, meaning "to do." The connection to facere is fairly obvious for words spelled with "fic," "fac," or "fec," such as sacrifice, fact, and infect. For words like stupefy (a modification of the Latin word stupefacere) and hacienda (originally, in Old Spanish and Latin, facienda) the facere relation is not so apparent. As for surfeit, a "c" was dropped along the path that led from Latin through Anglo-French, where facere became faire ("to do") and sur- was added to make the verb surfaire, meaning "to overdo." It is the Anglo-French noun surfet ("excess"), however, that Middle English borrowed, eventually settling on the spelling surfeit.

Choose the Right Synonym for surfeit

satiate, sate, surfeit, cloy, pall, glut, gorge mean to fill to repletion.

satiate and sate may sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire.

years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel
readers were sated with sensationalistic stories

surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

Examples of surfeit in a Sentence

Noun ended up with a surfeit of volunteers who simply got in each other's way Verb having surfeited ourselves on raw oysters, we had to decline the rest of the restaurant's offerings
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The ample marble shower boasts elegant brass fittings, and, somehow, there’s a surfeit of power outlets and USB chargers nestled within this paragon of old-world luxury. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 1 Sep. 2024 While Tangier doesn’t have the surfeit of stores that makes Marrakech so appealing, it is known for small textile and weaving workshops, and for good reason. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 3 Aug. 2024
Verb
But surfeited with at-home entertainment options, former subscribers are preferring the flexibility of single-ticket sales. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2023 Theatergoers, surfeited with entertainment options at home, have been less inclined to commit to season subscriptions, placing more pressure on programming to come up with sure-fire hits. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2023 See all Example Sentences for surfeit 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'surfeit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English surfet, from Anglo-French, from surfaire to overdo, from sur- + faire to do, from Latin facere — more at do

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of surfeit was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near surfeit

Cite this Entry

“Surfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surfeit. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

surfeit

1 of 2 noun
sur·​feit ˈsər-fət How to pronounce surfeit (audio)
1
: a supply that is more than enough : excess
2
: an enjoyment of something (as food or drink) beyond what is good or necessary
3
: disgust caused by excess

surfeit

2 of 2 verb
: to feed, supply, or enjoy to the point of excess

More from Merriam-Webster on surfeit

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