o|ver|kill

o|ver|kill «verb. _OH vuhr KIHL; noun. OH vuhr _KIHL», verb, noun.

–v.i., v.t.

to destroy with greater force or damage than necessary: »

A missile with a single enormous warhead is a lousy weapon. It overkills at the center (Stewart Alsop).

–n.

1. the act or process of overkilling.

2. the capacity of a force or weapon to cause greater destruction than necessary: »

What does being ahead mean when possessing more or less overkill cannot be translated into anything that is militarily or humanly meaningful? (New York Times).

3. Figurative: »

The nation's fiscal and monetary authorities, in their desire to correct inflation, might pursue restrictive policies too long, leading to economic overkill (Clifton H. Kreps, Jr.).