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Overkill is when you use much more of something than you need, or more than feels wise. The word started in talk about weapons: more force than you need to destroy a target. Now people use it for ordinary life, often with a small laugh. Three desserts after a small meal is overkill; a ten-page email to book a table can feel like overkill. In that everyday use it is informal, and it is not about killing a person. You will hear the noun far more than the verb, though to overkill something exists. The picture is “too much for the job,” not “too much death.”
殺雞用牛刀；過度。軍事新聞才說「殺傷力過剩」。
組成over- (too much) + kill. First used of weapons; everyday talk borrowed it.
同家族的字
- killthe verb this is built from
原始詞典資料7 筆記錄
以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，原文照列，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。
overkillnoun/ˈəʊ.vəˌkɪl/
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governmentmilitarypoliticsA destructive capacity that exceeds that needed to destroy an enemy; especially with nuclear weapons.
- [The] increase in nuclear missiles available to the West was operationally unnecessary and would only add to the existing nuclear overkill; mixed manning was a formula for military disaster; […]
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Destruction beyond what is necessary to kill, especially in murder.
- Bodies that have been stabbed or shot multiple times—far beyond what was sufficient to kill the victim (overkill)— suggest that the victim and assailant knew each other, […]
- For some killers with a great deal of love/hate for their victims, it [an edged weapon] is the perfect instrument for a maniacal overkill.
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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?
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businessmanufacturingAn unnecessary excess of disposal because of too high criteria of inspection.
overkillverb/ˌəʊvəˈkɪl/
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To destroy something with more (nuclear) force than is required.
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businessmanufacturingTo dispose of too many items because of too-high criteria of inspection.
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To do something excessive to achieve a goal.
資料來源：英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary（CC BY-SA 4.0）。 原文照列，未經改寫。