[
US
/ˈoʊvɝˌkɪɫ/
]
[ UK /ˌəʊvəkˈɪl/ ]
[ UK /ˌəʊvəkˈɪl/ ]
NOUN
- the capability to obliterate a target with more weapons (especially nuclear weapons) than are required
- any effort that seems to go farther than would be necessary to achieve its goal
How To Use overkill In A Sentence
- The screen is a bit of overkill because the audience is not that far from the center of action on the hot shop floor.
- The birthers may have reached and passed their peak, though, thanks to the scrutiny, the derisive laughter, and the backlash from the overkill on the part of the wingnuts in the mainstream media like Lou Dobbs. That Settles That
- A multispecies overkill simulation of the end-Pleistocene megafaunal mass extinction. Late-Quaternary changes in arctic terrestrial ecosystems, climate, and ultraviolet radiation levels
- But by the time you've finished reading this, they may well have reached overkill. Times, Sunday Times
- The extras complement the film without being overkill, and it's a pleasant addition to any fan's library.
- Most quads already have a fuel filter in the petcock, though, and adding another one is overkill. Maintenance Tip: Filtered Fuel vs Filtered Air
- I tend stick to two or three accent colours to avoid overkill. Times, Sunday Times
- While it may seem like overkill, the military was finally satisfied.
- It's tempting to veer into overkill territory with defined lashes and a sweep of rosy blusher on the cheeks. Times, Sunday Times
- Public concern about the fate of the planet suffers from overkill.