overkill
overkill Lexical Profile
overkill Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An excessive amount of something, or an action and effort that goes far beyond what is necessary or appropriate to achieve a goal.
"Hiring a professional catering team for a casual family picnic felt like complete overkill."
The destructive capacity of a military arsenal, especially nuclear weapons, that exceeds the amount required to completely obliterate an enemy.
"Strategic analysts during the Cold War frequently debated the geopolitical implications of nuclear overkill."
• verb
To treat, address, or pursue something with far more effort, force, or intensity than is necessary.
"The marketing department overkilled the product launch with so many advertisements that consumers grew tired of it."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined as a noun in the late 1950s during the Cold War to describe a country's nuclear stockpile exceeding the capacity needed to destroy an enemy, before broadening to mean any excessive action or effort.