overdose

overdose — noun

1. an amount of medicine or an illegal drug that is large enough to seriously harm

1.nounB2
Definition

an amount of medicine or an illegal drug that is large enough to seriously harm or kill someone

Example

The singer died from a painkiller overdose in a hotel room.

collocation: die from an overdose

Doctors treated two teenagers for an overdose after the party.

pattern: treat somebody for an overdose

Common collocations
  • fatal overdose
  • accidental overdose
  • drug overdose
  • die of an overdose
  • treat somebody for an overdose
Synonyms
  • drug poisoning

    more formal and often used in medical or legal writing

  • OD

    very informal shorthand, especially in speech

  • toxic dose

    clinical term focusing on the dangerous amount itself

Usage Note

Often used after die from, recover from, or treat for. In reports, English usually names the substance: an overdose of fentanyl, pills, or alcohol.

Common Mistakes

He died by overdose.
He died of an overdose.
With death, English usually uses of or from after overdose.

2. more of something than is good, useful, or pleasant

2.nounC1
Definition

more of something than is good, useful, or pleasant

Example

After a week online, Noah felt an overdose of bad news.

pattern: an overdose of + noun

The ad campaign was an overdose of bright colors and loud music.

Common collocations
  • an overdose of sugar
  • an overdose of bad news
  • an overdose of advice
  • an overdose of color
Synonyms
  • excess

    neutral and widely used for amounts or behavior

  • glut

    suggests a larger supply than anyone needs

  • overload

    often stresses pressure on the mind or senses

Antonyms
  • moderation

    a controlled amount, not more than is good

Usage Note

Usually followed by of and often used critically about media, food, or repeated experiences. Distinguish from noun/1, which is about drugs and physical danger.

Common Mistakes

The show was an overdose in ads.
The show was an overdose of ads.
This noun normally takes of before the thing there is too much of.

overdose — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, overdose is the normal general word for a dangerous amount of a drug. Drug poisoning is more formal and often appears in hospital, legal, or public-health contexts. OD is informal shorthand, mostly heard in speech or seen in casual writing. Toxic dose is clinical and focuses on the amount itself rather than the whole event. Overmedication is different again: it often suggests that someone has been given too much prescribed medicine, sometimes over a period of time, not always one sudden crisis. Compare: The report confirmed a fentanyl overdose. The doctor warned that the child's sleepiness might come from overmedication.

drug poisoningODtoxic doseovermedication

Common collocations

Phrases

  • an overdose of something
  • overdose on something

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekMedieval LatinFrenchEnglish

Overdose was formed in English by adding over- to dose. Dose came into English through French from medieval Latin, from Greek dosis, meaning a giving or portion. The word first referred to taking more medicine or drugs than was safe, and later widened to mean any harmful excess.