surfeit

/ˈsɜːfɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [sˈɚfət] /ˈsɜːrfɪt/ (ame, ipa)

surfeit — noun

1. a quantity of something that goes well beyond what is necessary or desirable, of

1.名詞C1
釋義

a quantity of something that goes well beyond what is necessary or desirable, often causing difficulty or waste rather than benefit.

例句

After the holidays, Astrid felt a surfeit of rich food had given her a stomach ache.

countable: a surfeit of [something]

The local market suffered a surfeit of cheap imports that hurt local farmers.

surfeit of [plural noun] for market overabundance

同義詞
  • excess

    more neutral and common than surfeit; can be positive or negative depending on context

  • glut

    strongly implies oversupply in a market or goods context, often causing prices to drop

  • plethora

    formal, like surfeit, but slightly less negative; often used for choices or information

  • abundance

    positive or neutral; a large amount that is welcomed rather than problematic

反義詞
  • scarcity

    a situation where there is too little of something

  • shortage

    a lack or insufficient amount, common in everyday language

  • dearth

    formal, like surfeit, but describes a lack rather than an excess

文法句型

a surfeit of [noun]

用法筆記

Surfeit carries a negative or regretful tone — it implies that the excess causes problems (discomfort, waste, confusion) rather than being simply 'a lot'. Unlike 'abundance', which is neutral or positive, surfeit nearly always suggests that the amount is unwanted or harmful. It is common in formal and written English but rare in casual conversation.

常見錯誤

❌There was a surfeit of food at the party and everyone was happy.
✅There was an abundance of food at the party and everyone was happy.
💡'surfeit' implies the excess is a problem, not a pleasure.
❌We have a surfeit of apples, meaning we have none.
✅We have a surfeit of apples, meaning far more than we need.
💡'surfeit' means too many, not too few.