overkill
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overkill
- /ˈəʊ.vəˌkɪl/ UK
- /ˈoʊ.vɚˌkɪl/ US
- /ˌəʊvəˈkɪl/ UK
- /ˌoʊvɚˈkɪl/ US
- /ˈoʊvɚˌkɪl/ US
noun
- A destructive capacity that exceeds that needed to destroy an enemy; especially with nuclear weapons. [The] increase in nuclear missiles available to the West was operationally unnecessary and would only add to the existing nuclear overkill; mixed manning was a formula for military disaster; […]
- Destruction beyond what is necessary to kill, especially in murder. Bodies that have been stabbed or shot multiple times—far beyond what was sufficient to kill the victim (overkill)— suggest that the victim and assailant knew each other, […]
- An unnecessary excess of whatever is needed to achieve a goal. 24 hours of TV coverage of the US election verged on overkill.
-
An unnecessary excess of disposal because of too high criteria of inspection.
Opposite: underkill
verb overkills · overkilling · overkilled
- To destroy something with more (nuclear) force than is required.
-
To dispose of too many items because of too-high criteria of inspection.
Opposite: underkill
- To do something excessive to achieve a goal.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: overdone, overreaction, overblown, exaggerated, undue, excessive, inordinate, escalation, far-fetched, exaggeration, bidding, suicide, suicidal, unreasonable, overdosing, overload
Translations
Every language
noun unnecessary excess
| Español | excesivo, matar moscas a cañonazos, exageración, desmesuramiento, desmesura, exceso |
|---|---|
| Português | exagero |
| Français | excès, surpuissance |
| Deutsch | Overkill, Übermaß |
| Italiano | eccessivo |
| Ελληνικά | υπέρβαση ypérvasi, υπερβολή ypervolí |
| Русский | переги́б peregíb, перебо́р perebór, перевыполнение perevypolnenije, из пу́шки по воробья́м iz púški po vorobʹjám |
Talk about this word "overkill." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/overkill. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. overkill. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/overkill "overkill." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/overkill.Cite this
@misc{overkill_2026,
title = {overkill},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/overkill},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
