surfeit 1 of 2

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
In the living room, on the lower floor, a contemporary Ashley Hicks chandelier illuminates a circa 1920 Japanese lacquered table and an array of plush seating in varied materials and colors—all surrounded by a surfeit of art and objects made across five centuries and nearly as many continents. David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 13 Dec. 2024 This deference has endured over the decades, despite skyrocketing coaching salaries and sports stadium surfeit that critics say is at odds with higher education’s raison d’être. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 2 Dec. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surfeit
Noun
  • That, and the surplus of mentors who played for Dad before him.
    Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 24 Mar. 2025
  • During the Legislature’s budget session in 2023, Minnesota was working with an $18 billion surplus and approved a budget of $72 billion, a jump from the previous $52 billion budget.
    Mary Murphy, Twin Cities, 22 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • As Israel gluts the present with death and destruction, the future perfect has become a means of stirring timid Americans out of indifference and into something like sympathy for Palestinian lives.
    Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
  • There are small evolutions of technology and cultural attitudes, but in a TV landscape glutted by dystopias, having any optimism about life 30-ish years in the future borders on revolutionary.
    Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
  • Photographed memorably on Gisele Bündchen by Nick Knight, the collection became emblematic of early-aughts excess and the bold, if controversial, cultural mashups of John Galliano’s Dior reign.
    Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 18 Mar. 2025
  • This excess leads to various plumbing and health problems, including mineral deposits on plumbing fixtures, restricted water flow through pipes, dry skin and hair, and prematurely faded clothing and other laundry items.
    Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • May brings a chance to celebrate the 150 cultures represented in the city with celebrations like Japan Fes (gorge yourself on everything from yakisoba to matcha sweets).
    Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Tykwer was one of a new generation of film geek obsessives, autodidacts who gorged themselves on midnight screenings, VHS tapes and repertory theaters, whose movies would mash up the tropes and obsessions of cinema history with the fresh aesthetics of video games and music videos.
    Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Like most sci-fi/thriller/mystery box shows, Severance stuffed a ton of twists and set pieces into the finale: Mark’s innie confronts his outie!
    Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 21 Mar. 2025
  • For now, the society’s modest office space remains stuffed full of papers and items.
    Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Our curiosity over Natalia Grace should be well sated by now.
    Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Fried twice, liberally dusted with salt and pepper and served with a ramekin of garlic aioli, a plate of these golden-brown beauties can easily sate three or four people as a starter.
    Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Surfeit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surfeit. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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