surfeit
pronunciation
How to pronounce surfeit in British English:
UK [ˈsɜ:fɪt]
How to pronounce surfeit in American English:
US [ˈsɜrfɪt]
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- Noun:
- the state of being more than full
- the quality of being so overabundant that prices fall
- eating until excessively full
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- Verb:
- supply or feed to surfeit
- indulge (one's appetite) to satiety
Word Origin
- surfeit (v.)
- late 14c., intransitive, "indulge or feed to excess," from surfeit (n.). Related: Surfeited; surfeiting. Transitive sense from 1590s.
- surfeit (n.)
- early 14c., "excess quantity;" late 14c., "overindulgence," from Old French sorfet "excess; arrogance" (Modern French surfait), noun use of past participle of surfaire "overdo," from sur- "over" (see sur- (1)) + faire "do," from Latin facere "to make, do" (see factitious).
Example
- 1. The " western palaces " provide some cultural context for the current surfeit of replicas in the people 's republic .
- 2. All this surfeit of cheap erotica is diluting sexual energy , especially for the young .
- 3. The stimulus packages that have been announced across the region must try to turn its surfeit of savers into avid consumers .
- 4. But the breadth of the financial crisis across the rich world , and hence the surfeit of savings relative to investment , means this distinction can be overdone .
- 5. Indeed , the euro is suffering from a surfeit of credibility since , on many gauges , it is overvalued against the dollar .