Overdose

/ˌoʊvərˈdoʊs/

Meaning & Definition

noun

An excessive and dangerous dose of a drug.

The patient was taken to the hospital after a heroin overdose.

A taking of an excessive dose of a medication or drug, often resulting in serious harm or death.

The rise in fatalities from prescription medication overdoses is alarming.

An overdose can also refer to an excessive amount of any substance.

She experienced an overdose of caffeine after drinking five energy drinks in one day.

verb

To administer an excessive dose of a medication or drug to someone.

The doctor warned him not to overdose on painkillers.

To take an excessive amount of a drug or substance.

He was found to have overdosed on the medication he had been prescribed.

The term 'overdose' is derived from the prefix 'over-' meaning excessive and 'dose' from the Latin 'dosis' meaning a dose of medicine.

overdose on

to consume excessively, particularly regarding substances.

overdose warning

a caution about the potential risks of taking too much of a substance.

overdose antidote

a treatment used to counteract the effects of an overdose.

addiction

a condition where a person is unable to stop using a substance despite harmful consequences.

withdrawal

symptoms that occur when a dependent substance is reduced or no longer taken.

intoxication

the state of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

He went to the hospital after an OD on painkillers.

double dose

She took a double dose of that drug, which led to her overdose.

Killing it

He's killing it with those party drugs, but he needs to be careful of an overdose.