overtreat

verb

over·​treat ˌō-vər-ˈtrēt 

overtreated; overtreating

transitive + intransitive

: to treat (something or someone) more than necessary or usual: such as

a

: to give or administer excessive medical treatment to (someone) or for (something)

overtreating older patients

overtreating low-grade prostate cancers

doctors who routinely overtreat with antibiotics

b

: to subject (something) to treatment or handling too often or for too long

overtreated hair

These wines lacked fruit concentration, which suggests they had been overtreated or filtered before bottling.

—James Suckling

Examples of overtreat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Starting in the 1980s, DRGs changed how Medicare pays hospitals.2 What Is the Impact of DRGs on Health Care? The DRG payment system encourages hospitals to be more efficient and reduces their incentive to overtreat you. —Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 24 Mar. 2023

Use minimal amounts of pesticides and don’t overtreat. —Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 18 Nov. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above