over·dose
ˈō-vər-ˌdōs 
1
: too great a dose (as of a therapeutic agent)
also
: a lethal or toxic amount (as of a drug)
2
: an excessive quantity or amount
an overdose of fun
over·dose
ˌō-vər-ˈdōs
overdosed; overdosing; overdoses
: to give an overdose or too many doses to
: to take or experience an overdose
—usually used with on
Examples of overdose in a Sentence
Noun
She died from a cocaine overdose.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 20 June 2024
In a court filing, California officials said studies show that syringe programs provide important resources for needle disposal and play a crucial role in preventing overdoses.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2024
Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2024
That fact is driven home by the fact that, to date, not a single person has ever died after overdosing in an OPC, not here in our two centers in NYC, not in the pioneering Insite center in Canada, not at the longtime ones in Europe, not anywhere.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for overdose 
Noun
Beijing sent a warning notice to its pharmaceutical industry and shut down 25 Chinese companies selling fentanyl precursors — the chemical building blocks of a drug that accounts for the majority of more than 70,000 synthetic opioid overdose deaths a year in the United States.
—Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 20 June 2024
In a court filing, California officials said studies show that syringe programs provide important resources for needle disposal and play a crucial role in preventing overdoses.
—Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2024
Verb
Gerhart took the pills at his home that evening and overdosed, Boutilier said.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2024
That fact is driven home by the fact that, to date, not a single person has ever died after overdosing in an OPC, not here in our two centers in NYC, not in the pioneering Insite center in Canada, not at the longtime ones in Europe, not anywhere.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 21 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for overdose
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overdose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near overdose
Cite this Entry
“Overdose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overdose. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
overdose
2 of 2 verb
over·dose
ˌō-vər-ˈdōs
1
: to give an overdose or too many doses to
2
: to take or experience an overdose
overdosed on heroin
Medical Definition
overdose
1 of 2 noun
over·dose
ˈō-vər-ˌdōs
: too great a dose (as of a therapeutic agent)
an overdose of exposure to the sun—Morris Fishbein
Morris Fishbein
also
: a lethal or toxic amount (as of a drug)
overdose
2 of 2 verb
over·dose
ˌō-vər-ˈdōs
overdosed; overdosing
: to give an overdose or too many doses to
: to take or experience an overdose
—usually used with on
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