NIMIETY: "excess, redundancy, overabundance"

By MsW

"Nimiety" is a noun that refers to an excess or surplus of something, often in the context of abundance or overindulgence. It implies having more than is necessary or desirable.

Etymology: The word "nimiety" has its roots in Latin. It is derived from the Latin word "nimietas," which means excess or extravagance. The Middle English term "nimiety" evolved from this Latin origin.

Sample Sentences:

  1. The nimiety of decorations in the room made it feel cluttered and overwhelming.

  2. His nimiety of compliments bordered on insincerity, leaving others skeptical of his intentions.

  3. The buffet at the party had a nimiety of delicious treats, tempting everyone to indulge.

  4. The nimiety of information available online can sometimes lead to confusion rather than clarity.

  5. Ellen had a nimiety of Halloween candy and insisted Carlene take some home after the party.

Synonyms: excess, surfeit, redundancy

Antonyms: deficiency, scarcity, dearth, lack

Merriam-Webster Online
The Word of the Day for June 07, 2008 is:
nimiety • \nih-MYE-uh-tee\ • noun

: excess, redundancy

Example Sentence:
"To avoid receiving a nimiety of kitchenware," advised the bridal guide, "be sure to register for a wide range of gifts for your guests to choose from."
Did you know?
There's no scarcity of English words used for too much of a good thing -- words like "overkill," "plethora," "superfluity," "surfeit," "surplus," and "preponderance," to name a few. In fact, you might just feel that "nimiety" itself is a bit superfluous. And it's true -- we've never used the word excessively, though it has been part of our language for nearly 450 years. (We borrowed it from Late Latin "nimietas," a noun taken, in turn, from the Latin adjective "nimius," meaning "excessive.") Superfluous or not, "nimiety" still turns up occasionally. For example, in his 1991 book Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction, about "the habitual longing to purchase, read, store, admire and consume books in excess," author Tom Raabe blames one bookstore's "nimiety of overstuffed chairs" for exacerbating this condition.

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