generous to a fault
1
6.4
- idiom
:
generoso hasta el extremo
- Although I am generous to a fault, every day would be beyond the pale, and I am nothing if not moderate.
You will never be free of me unless my freedom is generous to a fault.
- You will never be free of me unless my freedom is generous to a fault.
Examples
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Generous to a fault.
Blog text (21) -
Generous to a fault.
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And this guy was generous to a fault.
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Your father was loving, kind and generous to a fault.
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"As I remember, the Good Samaritan was generous to a fault.
Fiction book (1990) -
They liked being seen on his arm, the fact he was generous to a fault, and they liked the way he treated them.
Fiction book (2002) -
She could be fierce if you crossed her, but always generous to a fault... and as kind as the day is long.
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Whit Carver, generous to a fault.
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Mr. Gorman, the city of Metropolis is generous to a fault, but... I'm not the fault!
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He was generous to a fault, often giving away his lunch to those who forgot theirs.
Synonyms
36
6.1
Willing to let someone have what they want, even if it is not good for them
20
7.1
Spending much more money than is needed
11
5.1
Giving more help or money than is needed
1
6.1
Giving more than is fair or needed
How Generous
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'generous' combined with 'fault' gives a clue that the generosity causes a problem, and a learner could plausibly infer a negative excess. However, the fixed phrase 'to a fault' functions as an idiomatic degree marker meaning 'to an excessive degree,' a nuance that is not fully predictable from the parts and often requires exposure. Because the basic idea is partially recoverable but the exact conventional usage is idiomatic, this is best labeled semi-transparent.
Etymology
The phrase generous to a fault comes from the idea that someone is so generous that it becomes a fault. Imagine a person who gives away their last penny and ends up in trouble, so the phrase means 'excessively generous'.