overkill

English

Etymology

From over- +‎ kill.

Pronunciation 1

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈəʊvəˌkɪl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈoʊvɚˌkɪl/

Noun

overkill (uncountable)

1. (literally, military) A destructive capacity that exceeds that needed to destroy an enemy; especially with nuclear weapons.
2. (by extension) An unnecessary excess of whatever is needed to achieve a goal.

   24 hours of TV coverage of the US election verged on overkill.

   Should I give you yet more homework, or would that be overkill?

3. (manufacturing) An unnecessary excess of disposal because of too high criteria of inspection.

   Antonym: underkill

Translations

an unnecessary excess of something (idiomatic)

• Czech: kanón na vrabce
• Finnish: liika (fi), liioittelu (fi)
• French: surpuissance (fr), excès (fr)
• German: Übermaß (de)

• Hungarian: ágyúval lő verébre (hu)
• Italian: eccessivo (it)
• Portuguese: exagero (pt)
• Russian: переги́б (ru) m (peregíb), перебо́р (ru) m (perebór), перевыполнение (ru) n (perevypolnenije), из пушки по воробьям (ru) (iz puški po vorobʹjam)
• Spanish: excesivo (es), matar moscas a cañonazos

Pronunciation 2

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌəʊvəˈkɪl/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌoʊvɚˈkɪl/

Verb

overkill (third-person singular simple present overkills, present participle overkilling, simple past and past participle overkilled)

1. (transitive) To destroy something with more (nuclear) force than is required.
2. (manufacturing) To dispose of too many items because of too high criteria of inspection.

   Antonym: underkill

3. To do something excessive to achieve a goal.