too much of a good thing
Beneficial becomes harmful
Something desirable becomes harmful or unpleasant when taken to excess.
The phrase acknowledges that even positive things have limits: Chocolate is wonderful, but a whole cake is too much of a good thing.
Often used to justify moderation or explain why an appealing situation turned sour: I loved working from home at first, but after two years it became too much of a good thing.
- bingeBout of excess
- sugar rushEnergy spike from sweets
- gluttonyGreedy excess in consumption
- burnoutChronic occupational depletion
- fatigueWeariness from prolonged exertion
spoiled rotten · overconsumption · over the top · equilibrium · proportionality · prudence · self-control · surplus · oversaturation · satiation · cloying · dependency · sustainability · extravagance · gilding the lily · diminishing returns · law of diminishing returns · overload
- Shakespeare phrasesto be or not to be, et tu Brute, all the world's a stage, out damned spot, friends Romans countrymen
too much of a good thingscarcity
Insufficiency of something needed
not enough · shortage · lack · deprivation · insufficiency
too much of a good thingjust right
Exactly as needed
moderation · balance · optimal · sufficiency · enough