Noun: overkill 'ow-vu(r),kil
- Any effort that seems to go farther than would be necessary to achieve its goal
"Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut is a classic example of overkill"
- The capability to obliterate a target with more weapons (especially nuclear weapons) than are required
"The nuclear arsenal represented massive overkill"
Derived forms: overkills
Type of: capability, capableness, effort, elbow grease [informal], exertion, sweat [informal], travail [literary]
Encyclopedia: Overkill