overkill

[oh-ver-kil]

noun

1. the capacity of a nation to destroy, by nuclear weapons, more of an enemy than would be necessary for a military victory.

2. an instance of such destruction.

3. an excess of what is required or suitable, as because of zeal or misjudgment.

overkill

/ ˈəʊvəˌkɪl /

noun

1. the capability to deploy more weapons, esp nuclear weapons, than is necessary to ensure military advantage

2. any capacity or treatment that is greater than that required or appropriate

Word History and Origins

Origin of overkill¹

An Americanism dating back to 1945–50; over- + kill ¹

Example Sentences

This is the worst but certainly not the only instance of overkill, to put it plainly.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She left partly because she was ordering a lot of tests that seemed like overkill.

Read more on Barron's

This may seem like overkill, but the strategy helped Joy and her husband pay off $300,000 in debt within three years and retire by age 40.

Read more on MarketWatch

And transferring that kind of wealth to a man worth nearly a half-trillion dollars already seems like overkill, though Musk insisted Wednesday that his aim isn’t about the money.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s an overload of overkill, yet as tedious and empty as the last day of a 72-hour trip to Vegas when the novelty has worn off and you just want to go home and sleep.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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