Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est
“In all things, disgust lies close to the greatest pleasures.”
Cicero, De Oratore 3.100
What does “Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est” mean?
Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est translates as “In all things, disgust lies close to the greatest pleasures.”
Too much of a good thing quickly turns into weariness or disgust; enjoyment needs measure.
“Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est” word by word
| Latin | English | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| Omnibus | in all | dative or ablative plural of omnis, “all”; here ablative, agreeing with rebus |
| in | in | preposition taking the ablative |
| rebus | things | ablative plural of res, “thing, matter” |
| voluptatibus | to pleasures | dative plural of voluptas, “pleasure”; dative of the thing a neighbour is close to |
| maximis | the greatest | dative plural of maximus, “greatest”, superlative of magnus; agrees with voluptatibus |
| fastidium | disgust | nominative singular neuter of fastidium, “disgust, aversion, weariness”; the subject |
| finitimum | neighbouring, close | nominative singular neuter of finitimus, “bordering, adjoining”; agrees with fastidium, takes the dative |
| est | is | third person singular present indicative of sum, “I am” |
How to pronounce “Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est”
Classical and Church differ mainly in v (w or v) and in the vowels of the endings, which are shorter and closer to Italian in the Church style. The stress falls on the same syllables in both: OM-ni-bus, RE-bus, vo-lup-TA-ti-bus, MAX-i-mis, fas-TI-di-um, fi-NI-ti-mum.
The story behind it
Word for word the line says “in all things, disgust is a neighbour to the greatest pleasures”. Finitimus literally describes a country or farm that shares a border with yours, so the picture is of pleasure and disgust living side by side.
It comes from Cicero’s De Oratore, a dialogue on the ideal orator written in 55 BC. In book 3 the point is about style: ornament and sweetness that please at first soon cloy if the audience gets too much of them.
Cicero is talking about speaking, but the thought applies to any kind of enjoyment. It is quoted today as a Latin way of saying that excess spoils pleasure and that measure keeps it fresh.
How to use “Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est”
Suits a motto about moderation, a card or caption for someone tempted to overdo it, or a speech or essay on restraint and the limits of indulgence. It is a good choice if you want a less common alternative to “Nothing in excess”.
- Latin
- Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est
- English
- In all things, disgust lies close to the greatest pleasures.
- Source
- Cicero, De Oratore 3.100
- Era
- Antiquity
- Theme
- Self-control
Common mistakes
- It does not say that pleasure is bad. The claim is that the greatest pleasures sit next to disgust, so they need moderation.
- Omnibus in rebus is “in all things”, not “in all matters of business”. Res is a very broad word.
- Do not read voluptatibus maximis as a separate phrase after “disgust”. Both words are in the dative and depend on finitimum.
- Shortened versions such as “Omnibus in rebus fastidium” lose the point, because the closeness to pleasure is the whole idea.
Questions about “Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est”
What does “Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est” mean?
“In all things, disgust lies close to the greatest pleasures.” In plain terms, too much enjoyment tips over into weariness or disgust.
Who said “Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est”?
Cicero, in his dialogue De Oratore (55 BC), book 3, section 100. He uses it to warn speakers against overloading their style.
How do you pronounce “Omnibus in rebus voluptatibus maximis fastidium finitimum est”?
In the Classical style: OM-nih-bus in RAY-bus woh-look-TAH-tih-bus MAHK-sih-mees fah-STEE-dee-oom fih-NEE-tih-moom est. Church Latin shifts v to v and softens some vowels.
Is this a good Latin quote for a tattoo?
It is correct Latin and it has a clear meaning, but it is long. Check that you want the full sentence, and keep the word order and endings exactly as they are.
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Translation and grammar checked by Latin Quoter · last reviewed November 2026
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