overkill
overkill — noun
1. when someone uses or provides far more of a thing than is helpful, causing the r
when someone uses or provides far more of a thing than is helpful, causing the result to be worse rather than better
Cyrus thought the twelve-page report was complete overkill for a simple staff update.
collocation: complete overkill for [task]
Aoi said hiring a live band for a five-minute outdoor wedding was just overkill.
Nicholas later admitted that installing six locks on his bicycle before lunch was overkill.
According to Meera, forty presentation slides for a ten-minute talk was overkill.
Mira whispered 'this is overkill' when the waiter brought out a fifth dessert.
- excess
more general; does not imply the excess makes things worse
- surplus
neutral term for extra quantity, often used for goods or money
- overabundance
focuses on having too much, without the connotation of reduced effectiveness
- moderation
the quality of avoiding excess
- restraint
holding back rather than going too far
文法句型
be + overkill
be + overkill + for + noun phrase
adjective + overkill
用法筆記
Frequently paired with intensifying adjectives like 'complete,' 'total,' or 'absolute' to stress the degree of excess. The noun is uncountable — never use 'an overkill.'
常見錯誤
2. the possession of far more destructive military power than is needed to defeat a
the possession of far more destructive military power than is needed to defeat a target, especially in discussions of nuclear weapons
Tuan spent months studying the Cold War doctrine of nuclear overkill with growing unease.
domain: Cold War military strategy
Baraka explained that a hundred missiles aimed at one silo was textbook overkill.
Eric wrote his dissertation on how overkill shaped arms-race thinking in the 1960s.
Felix argued that building ten thousand warheads went far beyond deterrence into overkill.
Mateo pointed out the submarine's payload alone was enough overkill to end civilization.
- overcapacity
more common in industrial and economic contexts than in military ones
- deterrence
the strategy of having just enough force to discourage attack, rather than excessive force
文法句型
nuclear + overkill
military + overkill
doctrine of + overkill
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in military, strategic, or historical writing. The subject is typically a weapon system, military force, or strategic doctrine. Distinguish from sense 1 (WASTEFUL EXCESS), which covers everyday situations where too much effort backfires.