Definition of surfeitnext

surfeit

2 of 2

verb

as in to glut
to fill with food to capacity having surfeited ourselves on raw oysters, we had to decline the rest of the restaurant's offerings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word surfeit different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of surfeit are cloy, glut, gorge, pall, sate, and satiate. While all these words mean "to fill to repletion," surfeit implies a nauseating repletion.

surfeited themselves with junk food

When could cloy be used to replace surfeit?

While in some cases nearly identical to surfeit, cloy stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting.

sentimental pictures that cloy after a while

In what contexts can glut take the place of surfeit?

While the synonyms glut and surfeit are close in meaning, glut implies excess in feeding or supplying.

a market glutted with diet books

Where would gorge be a reasonable alternative to surfeit?

Although the words gorge and surfeit have much in common, gorge suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking.

gorged themselves with chocolate

When might pall be a better fit than surfeit?

The synonyms pall and surfeit are sometimes interchangeable, but pall emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite.

a life of leisure eventually begins to pall

How do satiate and sate relate to one another, in the sense of surfeit?

Both 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of surfeit
Noun
That has never been the case for the first two seasons of House of the Dragon, with its surfeit of…everything. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026 Days after the World Cup friendlies had passed, earlier this month, yielding one win and a surfeit of thrill, FIFA rejected the Haitian jersey, citing its depiction of the Battle of Vertières as a violation to its regulation on political speech. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 13 June 2026
Verb
As a theater critic surfeited with plays, radio dramas worked best for me as an unplanned diversion in my car. Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025 But the younger people making theater now are drawn to it now because they’ve been surfeited with digital culture. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for surfeit
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surfeit
Noun
  • Learn how to measure flour the Test Kitchen way, and remember that dipping the measuring cup in the flour and scooping it out generally results in a 25-gram surplus of flour.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Carnegie urged the rich to live modestly and to direct the surplus toward universities, libraries, medical institutions and public parks.
    Gautam Mukunda, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Previous predictions showed the industry downturn extending through 2026 and the global plastics glut not being fully solved until 2030, Carter said.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 30 July 2026
  • The walls are glutted with oil portraits, and antiques sourced from l’Isle-sur-Sorgue are the real thing; staff are dressed in somewhat cumbersome costume (medieval-style bodices and straw boaters) but ever attentive.
    Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • Grantham’s own framing reaches for an even longer horizon, tying market excess to demographic collapse and resource scarcity.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Or, the homeowner can choose to use battery storage and avoid an excess of $10,000 of expense of just upgrading the board.
    Jennifer Castenson, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • America’s Poison Centers’s national helpline receives more than 60,000 calls about possible vitamin poisoning every year, mostly from parents alarmed after their children have accidentally gorged on the chewy sweets.
    Cat Rainsford, Popular Science, 23 July 2026
  • And while fans have been sated by the footballing feast, FIFA and its member associations have gorged on the tournament’s fruits.
    Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • The defense then stuffed a Vidal run before Herbert connected with Johnston for another touchdown from five yards out.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Imagine trying to swallow a sip of water while your face feels stuffed with congestion, your sense of taste is dulled and your body is floating 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth.
    Sundeep Venkatesan, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And while fans have been sated by the footballing feast, FIFA and its member associations have gorged on the tournament’s fruits.
    Tom Kludt, Vanity Fair, 17 July 2026
  • His thirst would be sated in the second half.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 23 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Surfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surfeit. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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