Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Insufficient force to defeat an enemy.
  • noun An insufficient amount of what is necessary or appropriate for a purpose.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The challenge is to make your action response just right and not go to overkill, which you will have to take back, or underkill, which will only allow them to keep raging at you.

    Mark Goulston, M.D.: Rage -- Coming Soon From a Narcissist Near You M.D. Mark Goulston 2012

  • The challenge is to make your action response just right and not go to overkill, which you will have to take back, or underkill, which will only allow them to keep raging at you.

    Mark Goulston, M.D.: Rage -- Coming Soon From a Narcissist Near You M.D. Mark Goulston 2012

  • The challenge is to make your action response just right and not go to overkill, which you will have to take back, or underkill, which will only allow them to keep raging at you.

    Mark Goulston, M.D.: Rage -- Coming Soon From a Narcissist Near You M.D. Mark Goulston 2012

  • I know this is underkill to a guy like Ohio but its a good show of fandom for me.

    The Phinsider Alpha6 2010

  • Finding ActionMailer to be overkill, but Net:: SMTP to be ... um, underkill?

    almost effortless 2009

  • Luna park astro density - a deflatulent neighborly cranial busride, an abridged jitney, a swerve shocks skeezier sublunar underkill dose wobble gato muttonskin chrysalis monks on acid: vocational turtle-like dissonance.

    PoetryFoundation.org 2009

  • Luna park astro density - a deflatulent neighborly cranial busride, an abridged jitney, a swerve shocks skeezier sublunar underkill dose wobble gato muttonskin chrysalis monks on acid: vocational turtle-like dissonance.

    PoetryFoundation.org 2009

  • As authorities worldwide hold the key to curbing the global financial crisis, Roach said, "it is critical for [both monetary and fiscal] policy [to] err on the side of overkill - not underkill."

    Taipei Times 2008

  • As authorities worldwide hold the key to curbing the global financial crisis, Roach said, "it is critical for [both monetary and fiscal] policy [to] err on the side of overkill - not underkill."

    Taipei Times 2008

  • As authorities worldwide hold the key to curbing the global financial crisis, Roach said, "it is critical for [both monetary and fiscal] policy [to] err on the side of overkill - not underkill."

    Taipei Times 2008

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