WordGarden.ioglut
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɡlˈʌt/
US
- /ˈɡlət/
Meanings
Noun
an excessive supply or amount of something
Verb
to supply or fill with too much of something
to eat or consume to excess
Beyond the definition
Imagine a farmer having a very good harvest, with so much produce that they can't sell it all. That's a glut. It means there is too much of something, often causing prices to fall because supply is greater than demand. You might see a glut of emails after a marketing campaign, or a glut of holiday cookies around Christmas. It is not always bad, but it usually suggests more than people want or need.
The word is related to "gluttony" and comes from old words connected with swallowing or gulping down. That image helps: a market can be so full of goods that it feels stuffed. A glut can happen with oil, wheat, houses, or even online content.
A glut refers to an excessive supply of something—often far more than is needed or desired. It is a situation where there is so much available that the price tends to fall because sellers are competing for a limited number of buyers. For example: "The market was experiencing a glut of apples after a particularly fruitful season," meaning there were far too many apples available, driving down their cost.
While often used in economic contexts (like an oil glut or a housing glut), it can also describe any overabundance. You might say, "There's a glut of reality TV shows these days," implying that there are simply too many to choose from.
The origin of the word "glut" comes from Old French gloter and Latin gluttire, meaning "to swallow." This gives the word a feeling of being filled past comfort. It carries a sense of being overwhelmed by quantity. It is not just having a lot, but having so much that it creates a problem—whether economic, cultural, or personal, like a glut of unwatched movies on your streaming service.
So, if you find yourself swimming in something—whether apples, information, or entertainment—you're likely experiencing a glut.
Examples
- 1
Market surplus
By August, there was a glut of tomatoes at the local market.
- 2
Oil supply
The drop in oil prices was partly caused by a global glut.
- 3
Entertainment
Streaming platforms have created a glut of crime dramas in recent years.
- 4
Real estate
Developers kept building luxury condos and ended up glutting the market.
- Patternglut the market
supply so much that it becomes hard to sell more
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Secondhand market
By late summer, the secondhand bike market was glutted with cheap imports.
- Patternglutted with + thing
filled with too much of it
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- a glut of
- oil glut
- supply glut
- market glut
Word family
Explore
- supply and demand
- inventory overhang
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- glutnounverb
Forms
- glutspluralnounverb
- gluttedpast tenseverbnoun
- glutting-ing formverbnoun