Word
overdose
Phoneticsover·dose
US/ˈoʊvɝˌdoʊs/
UK/ˈəʊvədˌəʊz/
Definitions
01to take too much drug
v. to take a dangerous amount of a drug or medicine.
v. to ingest or administer a dose of a drug that is excessive and potentially lethal. Often used intransitively.
“He accidentally overdosed on his heart medication because he forgot he had already taken a pill.”
“The patient had overdosed on a combination of prescription painkillers and alcohol, necessitating immediate intervention by the emergency response team.”
Synonyms
02to do too much of something
v. to do or experience too much of something until you are tired of it.
v. to indulge in an activity or experience to an excessive degree. Figurative use.
“I think I overdosed on chocolate cake at the party last night.”
“After three weeks of visiting museums every single day, the students felt they had overdosed on Renaissance art and requested a trip to the beach.”
Informal
Usage
Usually takes the preposition 'on'.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03a dangerous dose
n. a dangerous or lethal amount of a drug.
n. an excessive and dangerous dose of a drug or medicine.
“The hospital treated several people for a drug overdose over the weekend.”
“The coroner's report confirmed that the cause of death was an accidental overdose of a powerful sedative.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“We found large increases in overdose deaths in flood-damaged areas and evidence that the harm continues for years.” “In the midst of 2025’s successes, Strings’ mother died of an overdose.” Etymology
From over- + dose.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/overdose