Bellyful

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A complete or entire amount of something ; enough or more than enough to satisfy or cause displeasure
2. The whole quantity or supply of an item ; a quantity that fills one completely or leads to irritation
3. An ample or maximum portion ; a sufficient or excessive amount that satisfies or annoys

Etymology: "Bellyful" is about as transparent as English compounds get: "belly" plus the suffix "-ful," the same ending found in "handful," "spoonful," and "cupful." Its meaning follows directly from that pairing. Where a handful is as much as a hand can hold, a bellyful is as much as the stomach can take, and by extension "more than enough" of anything, whether food, news, or nonsense. The word's real interest lies in its shape rather than any hidden history. "Belly" came into English from Old English "belg," meaning a bag or sack, which is why the stomach and a leather pouch share a root. The suffix "-ful" was originally a full word meaning "full," and over time it lost its independent life and became a unit-measuring ending. So "bellyful" carries a small piece of history inside it: a bag, a full measure, and a container turned into a figure of speech.

Synonyms: fullness, satisfaction, abundance, plenty, overabundance

Antonyms: emptiness, scarcity, lack, insufficiency, deficiency