overkill
Americannoun
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the capacity of a nation to destroy, by nuclear weapons, more of an enemy than would be necessary for a military victory.
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an instance of such destruction.
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an excess of what is required or suitable, as because of zeal or misjudgment.
noun
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the capability to deploy more weapons, esp nuclear weapons, than is necessary to ensure military advantage
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any capacity or treatment that is greater than that required or appropriate
Etymology
Origin of overkill
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Calling it a “surgical procedure” is almost overkill.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
The overkill hits its nadir when the Bride repeatedly wails the survivors’ hashtag, “Me too!”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
For me, it happens often enough that this approach feels less like overkill and more like mercy.
From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026
But I would agree with Williams that it was probably overkill.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 16, 2026
But he was not into overkill, and there was nothing bloodthirsty about his hunting habits.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
