I. ˈsərfə̇t, ˈsə̄f-, ˈsəif-, usu -ə̇d.+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English surfait, surfet, from Middle French sourfait, seurfet, from past participle of sourfaire to reach too high, literally, overdo, from sour-, sur- sur- + faire to make, do, from Latin facere — more at do
1. : an overabundant supply, yield, or amount of something : excess , superfluity
a murder with a surfeit of clues and motives — London Calling
hard to choose … from such a surfeit of riches — Martin Levin
2.
a. : an intemperate or immoderate indulgence in something (as food or drink) usually to a degree that causes physical disorders
died of a surfeit of sprats — T.C.Chubb
b. obsolete : the amount (as of food or drink) taken intemperately or in excess
his loathing stomach … shall cast the precious surfeit up again — Richard Blackmore
3. archaic : a sickness arising from excess in eating and drinking : sickness caused by intemperance
he died of a surfeit caused by intemperance — Oliver Goldsmith
4. : disgust caused by excess : satiety
supplied abundantly and even to surfeit — Edmund Burke
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English surfeten, from surfet surfeit
transitive verb
: to feed, supply, or give to surfeit : disgust or sicken by excess : fill to satiety or repletion : cloy
a large and corpulent individual surfeited … with good eating — Theodore Dreiser
the public was already surfeited with … histories — Edmund Wilson
intransitive verb
1. archaic : to indulge excessively or to satiety in any gratification (as of the appetite or senses)
a merrier set of gourmands … never surfeited in genial diet — E.K.Kane
2.
a. obsolete : to suffer from overindulgence : become sick especially from food or drink taken in excess
they are as sick that surfeit with too much as they that starve with nothing — Shakespeare
b. archaic : to become nauseated or disgusted with an excess of something : become sick of something overabundant
so early dost thou surfeit with the wealth — H.F.Cary
Synonyms: see satiate